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Conformed or transformed? (P1)

I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I bid every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith which God has assigned him.
Romans 12: 1-3

Many people pull their children out of school and begin to homeschool and they cite Romans 12:2 as a favourite scripture. Oh, I don’t have a problem with that per se, but have you ever noticed how we can soon start to conform to a whole nother system or set of rules – the Christian homeschool way of doing things?

You know what I mean, come on admit it. You might visit a forum and realise that no one there fesses up to watching science fiction and you don’t want to be the one to open your mouth and dump your family in it. Or a slightly different angle might be that you doggedly get out of bed at 5.30am every day to do devotions before the children awake and you believe that this is the key to being a successful Christian homeschool mum? Maybe if everyone else did this, they wouldn’t have their problems eh? 😉

Ah…God wants so much more than that for us! Just as he doesn’t want us to conform to the world, He doesn’t want us to conform to a system, a set of activities or walking by the rules. He does want us to be transformed…

What’s the difference?

“Conformed’ means to assume an outward expression that does not come from within. It is basically to masquerade, to put on a mask. If we are doing ‘something’ for Christ then it is possible it is an act of conformity.

“Transformation” is different in that it is a process…an outward expression that does come from within! Did you know that the Greek word underlying the word transformed is the verb, ‘metaorphoo’. Yup, from that we get the English words ‘metamorphose and metamorphosis.’ The word of God, the Living Christ transforms us from the inside out. (James 1:21,22).

So what do we need to do? Surely we need to do something?

All we need to do is to soak in, breathe in, be immersed in the Word of God. The word will renew our minds and transform us, from the inside out!

When we stop trying to conform and instead yield ourselves to Christ, He expresses Himself through our daily lives. This is the metamorphic process – this is a truly radical transformation. Once we experience this ongoing transformation in our lives, why would we want to substitute our freedom in Christ to become bound or try and conform to another system, method or way of doing things? God wants so much more than that!

You think the learning-at-home journey is radical? It is nothing compared to being transformed by the renewing of our mind, according to His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
(English Standard Version)

Conformed or Transformed~ Part 1-3

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Superstitious mumbo-jumbo or Bible Literacy

I’m off again on another rant. It’s in relation to a newspaper article which you can find here.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24753674-1248,00.html

A QUEENSLAND father of five has taken action in the Anti-Discrimination Commission after his four-year-old daughter was asked to help make a replica of Noah’s Ark at the local state school.

R** W********, who has five children under the age of 10, is opposed to religious instruction in state schools.

He said he was taking action because he did not believe students should be “exposed to superstitious mumbo-jumbo, presented as fact, in an educational setting”, The Australian reports.

The Bible Literacy report
Can be found in its entirety here: http://tinyurl.com/6xovm4

Almost without exception, English professors we surveyed at major American colleges and universities see knowledge of the Bible as a deeply important part of a good education.

For example, when asked to respond to the question, “Regardless of a person’s faith, an educated person needs to know about the Bible,” no professor disagreed; nine provided additional explanation. When asked, “Some scholars say Western literature is steeped in references to the Bible. How would you respond to that?” 38 of 39 English professors agreed; 24 strongly. When asked, “In your opinion, how important is it for students who take your courses to be familiar with the Bible?” 38 of 39 professors said it was important.

Overwhelmingly, professors in this survey indicated that a lack of basic Bible literacy hampers students’ ability to understand both classics and contemporary work. Arduously “decoding” scripture references detracts from absorbing and responding to great works of art, both ancient and modern. At the same time, a number of professors expressed discomfort or reservations with appearing to “take sides” in favor of the Bible in the contemporary context.

They did not wish to associate themselves with a political movement around the Bible, or to seem to detract from the importance of other aspects of a good education, including the value of becoming knowledgeable about other world religions.

This report concludes that high schools should make basic Bible knowledge part of their curriculum, especially for college preparatory students. Doing so requires developing a variety of educational materials and curricula that simultaneously:

(a) acknowledge the Bible’s status as sacred scripture to millions of Americans,
(b) are fair to students of all faith traditions, and
(c) are of high academic quality.

Doing so will be an important part of meeting the next generation’s educational needs in an increasingly diverse population.

The King James version of the Bible has been of major impact in the development of the English language. In terms of the English language, it ranks up there with Shakespeare and the Oxford English Dictionary. It is a rich, literary source which still has cultural meaning today. Many people are probably not even aware of how many common phrases used daily originate from the Bible. If a parent values education, then surely a stance such is akin to their child being led like a ‘lamb to the slaughter‘.(Or another reference) It is my hope that the ‘powers that be‘ will encourage Biblical Literacy in our school thus enabling future generations to go from ‘strength to strength‘.

Self harm? Don't Be Ignorant

Today’s blog post isn’t something pleasant, but it is something that I want to write about…to encourage other parents to be aware of. Self harm, self injury, mutilation, call it what you will.

Teens devise elaborate self-harm
SOME troubled teens are embedding nails, paper clips, bits of rock, glass and even crayons in their bodies as a way to cope with disturbing thoughts and feelings, US researchers say.
Taken from news.com.au

All forms of self harm are shocking. Did you know that there are many forms of self harm? Did you know that even *good kids* can wind up practicing self harm and self mutilation? Just because you are a Christian who homeschools don’t be fooled into thinking that your child could or would never do something like that.

Who self harms

According to some research, girls are seven times more likely to self harm than boys. The behaviour usually starts in adolescence but is also known amongst younger children.

In my experience, self harm can start very young. It doesn’t always look the same but the attitudes, the pain, the inability to deal with guilt, the anger is still present. I’ve known of a child who cannot/will not be smacked by his parents. They say it is because “he is such a sensitive child…” and they went on to tell me that every time he starts to get into trouble or be corrected, he would throw himself onto the floor and bang his head on the floor, thus preventing him from being disciplined by his parents!!! Strangely enough, the mother of said child often has exhibited self harm behaviour. When this person is upset or angry, she will hit her head against a wall repeatedly. This is a grown woman! So, I would say that self harm is something that can start to manifest in young children because it can be an inability to deal with pain, hurt, anger, frustration, etc.

As parents what can we do?

Become informed. Learn to recognise possible warning signs. There is a lot of information available on the Internet, but please exercise caution. There is a lot of pop psychology out there and secular worldviews pervade the ‘behaviour of teens’ industry so please line everything you read up against the word of God.

Observe our children. When they make a mistake, how do they react, cope? How do they deal with being corrected?

We need to teach our children correct Biblical views about guilt, forgiveness, (atonement for sin) shame. Teach them how to deal with and/or express their anger. Teach them/lead them to the Cross for the forgiveness of their sins. Teach them Scripture. Teach them who they are in Christ and what He has done for us. But more importantly, we need to model these things. They will be watching us and learning how we deal with anger and guilt.

Resources:

See my disclaimer policy

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland has a download which is a good starting point.

Self-Injury.org Is an anonymously edited series of pages written by a former female self harmer from a Christian perspective. It gives a comprehensive list of Bible verses which relate to the subject. The author helpfully reviews other resources which have been published and writes personally about her own story.

Secret Shame (self-injury information and resources) This site covers many areas, such as why someone would injure him or herself, information for family and friends, and ways that a self-injurer can help him or herself. It is well documented and contains information from people who injure themselves as well as from books about the subject and other resources.

Christians in Recovery — A Christian recovery ministry containing both Christian and secular information about recovering from abuse, depression, addictions, etc.

But we’re a Christian family!

Yes, even Christians can self harm! Even Christian children can self harm. Hiding away, denying it, trying to avoid the shame and humiliation from other Christians is not going to help the problem…it simply reinforces to the child that denial of sin is the way to deal with it. So, ask for prayer…see your pastor but don’t live with it alone or trying to pretend it can’t be happening.

In His Grace,

What should I blog?

I know I blog primarily for me…but I also like to have a focus, a purpose. This blog started primarily as a way for me to keep all the emails and forums responses that I had written. I still receive questions via email and often my response will be edited and end up here on my blog. But I’d like to hear from you, the reader.

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Delighting in our children

I’ve been chewing over a thought. It keeps coming back to me every day. I can’t shake the thought even if I wanted to. So I’ll write about it. I don’t expect that I’ll be all that coherent as writing is usually the way I process my thoughts and it takes me a few goes at saying something before it starts to make sense to anyone else other than myself…so read along if you dare…but if you do, please leave your thoughts. I’d love to hear them!

Friends of mine (IRL and online) will know that I have often talked about parenting our children as God parents us. God is The Ultimate Parent…we do well to model our parenting methods after Him.

I’ve often hear and have used the phrase ‘ pleasing unto the Lord’ or that which ‘pleases God’. I try to live by it…knowing that of myself I cannot earn God’s favour, but to do those things which please Him, not to earn salvation but because His love, His grace compels me to do those things which please Him. For those readers who might be thinking that I’m steering toward a ‘works based’ mentality- I’m not. Not at all…I’m still very much aware of Isaiah 64:6

One of my children struggles with the sin of perfectionism. This leads to much frustration on their part (and ours). This child grumps and humphs in frustration or anger or impatience…and I’ve realised that I do not like being around them when they choose to display that behaviour! Their behaviour doesn’t give me pleasure…I don’t take delight in being with them at that time.

I’m not a parent who takes joy in only singing hymns, nor do we have special ‘approved’ activities which sit well with my moral compass and make me happy. For me, there are no activities that are more spiritual than others. One child plays softball with her whole heart, as unto the Lord. She works at every aspect of it and has experienced a lot of growth through the sport. For her, playing softball is an act of worship (her words). She plays like she was born to play softball. I LOVE watching her play. I get great delight in watching her play.

My son has recently started at Cadets. He practices his drill daily. He researches. He talks with his younger brother about it. He takes part in all the activities with gusto. He enjoys it. I LOVE watching him ‘do his thing’. I take pleasure in watching him do his Cadets thing.

Worship is an attitude, an act, a thought.

It isn’t something we just ‘put on’, it is a lifestyle. Worship isn’t just lighting candles, jumping up and down, singing or kneeling although all those things can be an act of worship. I’ve been learning how worship is all this – not just a prescribed set of actions.

Knowing that God is The Ultimate Parent, I’ll venture on…I’m trying to find a point here somewhere.

If I take pleasure watching my child partake in an activity with their whole heart (as unto the Lord), and they are enjoying themselves and have a good attitude, does God take pleasure in watching me as I go about my daily activities with joy? As much as I don’t take great pleasure in being with a child who is choosing to stomp around, maybe it doesn’t give God pleasure when I’m stomping around or thinking negatively or nastily. Can I do these things? Yup! (Does my freedom that allows me to do them make it beneficial or right?) Does it give God pleasure? Does He delight in seeing me act that way?

So what does God delight in?

And how does this affect my parenting- the way I interact with my children? I’m not talking about living a just, honest life and all those good things. As a parent I want to see my children living according to biblical guidelines but that isn’t what I’m trying to get at. My children each have unique interests and different abilities. I love to watch them as they discover those abilities and even more as they learn to grow and mature those abilities. It’s not just a ‘fun’ type of pleasure, it’s a deeper type of joyous, satisfying delight. To see them live out those interests with their unique abilities, seeking only to glorify the father gives me pleasure. I don’t see playing an instrument in church any more ‘spiritual’ than playing softball or painting. The activity itself isn’t the major point, it’s the heart attitude. (Obviously this is not a theological essay so I’m sure you’ll bear with my inconsistent thoughts).

As I’ve watched one of my children, trying to run away from God, I am learning a lot about the fatherly nature of God. On the other hand, as I’ve watched another child I and also learning a lot about his nature. This child has given their whole life to the Lord, to be in His service. They discovered an ability, they grow and mature that ability, all the while giving glory to God. During all this, their heart is turned toward their father and I. We know this child and have a good relationship with them. We cry with them and we laugh with them. We share in their ups and downs. They desire to do that which pleases us, as we are the child’s parents. We know that they respect, honour and love us. When this child embraces their ability and participates in it, it feels natural…we love to watch and be a part of it. It doesn’t give us any more pleasure than an activity that is more ‘socially acceptable’ as a form of worship. Yet this is worship- real life, total worship of the Creator, The Father, God.

What do I delight in seeing in my children?

A heart that will ‘toe the line’ with following our guidelines… A heart that doesn’t *delight* in our relationship or a relationship with my child that allows them to make mistakes…knowing that they desire to please me out of love, gratitude and relationship not in order to ‘look good’ or appearing to be obedient or trying to win my approval?

I don’t mind when my children make mistakes, if their heart is filled with love and is turned toward me. A mistake is a mistake. But there are some children who want to live life all their own way – not in relationship – living purely by the rules – nothing more, nothing less. This type of obedience fills me with sorrow as they are missing out on so much – relationship. I love my children. I want to have a deep, real, honest relationship with each one of them…I haven’t stopped loving them. I haven’t set my face to turn against them. I have forgiven. I haven’t moved away. But they don’t always want that. They sometimes want to walk their own road by themselves, regardless of what it may bring.:::: sigh ::::

Is God like that with me, I wonder?

Does He delight in me, does He smile, when watching me partaking in activities and using the gifts that He has given me? I have a relationship with Him…my heart and life is His.

Our view of God will affect the way we parent our children.

So, if we want to do a good job of parenting then we need to know what it is to be a child. We need to know who the Ultimate Parent is.

I’m not trying to put the cart before the horse, nor am I getting into heresy. I’m simply seeing another side to my relationship with the Father – how a father delights in His children. Here we have what pleases the Lord: Psalm 147:10-11

His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man;
but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Delight.

What a word…delight. Jesus is a delight to the Father. He delighted in His Son. Through being born again, we have been adopted into God’s family and we are His sons and daughters. He delights in you. He delights in me.

Again, I’m not trying to compare my parenting practices to God. I learn more about the nature of God through being a parent. I’m sure some will have issues with this post but I hope you will hear my heart and not just my words. I know this post doesn’t have all its theological ducks in a row but I do hope and pray that you can read the ethos of it.

Book Meme

I don’t usually do tags but one of my dearest friends has recently started a blog (after much pestering from me) and she tagged me. So, as not to appear anti-blogging-social I will go along with this tag. Here it is:

Pass this on to 5 blogging friends. Open the closest book to you, not your favourite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment, to page 56. Write the 5th sentence, as well as two to five sentences following that.

I have two books closest to me. One is “Why It’s Hard to Love Jesus” by Joseph Stowell, which I’m re-reading and the other is “Passionate Housewives Desperate for God” by Chancey & MacDonald (available through Credo Trust) I’ll use Passionate Housewives as it was on top of the other one.

from page 56:

Be assured that neither your efforts nor your tears (Psalm 56:8) have gone unnoticed by our wise, good and powerful God; and that He has ordained your steps (Psalm 16:7).

Go to Him; plead for His strength and mercy. He will give you the rest needed to accomplish His will; as He promises:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11: 28-30

There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? But who shall I tag? Most of my blogging friends have been tagged with this one so I’ll try something different – I TAG EVERYONE!!!! If you read my blog, you are tagged! Just tag yourself, post your entry and leave me a comment so I can go read your post. 🙂

Supporting Homegrown Services

Its the time of year when many people are busy planning for next year’s homeschooling curriculum and schedule. Many mums are in full swing; pens, notebooks, catalogs, book lists and the like. It can be such fun!

This year, many parents will receive a government bonus (the ‘Rudd money’ – with the express purpose of trying to prevent an economic recession) in early December. The point of my post isn’t to rave about whether or not homeschoolers should take it or not. Rather, I’d like to share a few things written, as only I can, from my own perspective as a former small business owner who aimed to serve the Australian homeschooling community. I’d also like to encourage all Australian to ‘buy Australian’ as much as possible. What good will it do our nation to spend up big on foreign imports – so the money goes back out of our land. How does that really prevent a recession?

Anyway, on to my story. I used to own a small home-based book/curriculum business, called HomeGrownKids. (Who woulda thunk it?) I used to supply books, curriculum and resources that I had used – that I knew a fair bit about…that I could easily talk about with other homeschoolers. I could suggest a variety of resources in case one or the other wasn’t suitable. During this early time, the Australian dollar was at the absolute lowest point in years. The Internet wasn’t all that popular or widespread back then although it was growing. I remember what it was like to meet with another homeschooler and covet some of their homeschool encouragement type books, for they weren’t easy to obtain and were far and few between. No online shopping carts back then! Most homeschoolers were content to order a book and then wait for 3 months while it was shipped over on the boat. Yes, it took a long time but there weren’t too many other viable options. Plus, we learned patience…and learned about interacting with our children rather than just relying upon curriculum. But then, online shopping became easier. More and more businesses started accepting online credit card payments. Whoohoo! It wasn’t long before some customers wanted a resource in a hurry. So I’d order in via air mail. This would cut any profit, for the cost of airmail was crippling…but it was a service that I was providing to my friends- other Aussie homeschoolers.

I would spend hours researching curricula and books…hours on the phone talking to other homeschool mums, offering encouragement, support or ideas. HGK was nowhere near the point of making any money. In fact, it was draining our own pocket! However, we thought that if we could stick with it long enough it would become a valuable service to Aussie homeschoolers.

However, it wasn’t long before I started to notice a disturbing trend. Well, I thought it was disturbing – not sure if everyone agreed with me. I started receiving a few phone calls where people would talk to me about curricula, asking for my opinion. Sometimes this phone call might take me away from the family dinner table or afternoon lessons. These calls rarely took a brief 15 minutes – more like hours! After talking and sharing and then giving the price of the requested books, some people thanked me and hung up. They later went online and ordered those very books from book suppliers in the US!!! Yes, it was a little cheaper ( not that much really) but I still thought it was quite rude. I had done the legwork, the research, the homework. I had talked with the people about the best curriculum to suit their needs and they bought it for a few dollars cheaper!

After awhile I just couldn’t compete. Not that I was trying to per se, but I was give, give, giving of time for people to source a few dollars cheaper elsewhere out of Australia. Some did shop within Australia. They found that A & R or Dymocks were cheaper by a couple of dollars. Sure! But could the bookseller talk about that book from their own experience? Had they used it with several children? I don’t think so. To make HGK prices the same as Dymocks meant that the books cost our family money!! No one can operate like that. Who can compete with Amazon, Book Depository, CBD and all the other giants, especially when our dollar was so low? Unlike the super-stores, HGK couldn’t receive cheaper items because of large orders. We had to pay shipping fees from the US…and then postage fees to the customer. Nowadays there is even GST to add to the mix! Over the Christmas break, my husband and I made the hard but necessary decision to close HomeGrownKids down. The reasons listed above are certainly not the only reasons but they were a contributing factor.

So not only do I love Aussie made products…I love to support local businesses – even if it costs a few dollars more. When I email or call Adnil Press, Chariot Press, Homeschool Heaven, DownUnder Literature, Always Learning Books, Credo Trust or Homeschool Favourites we have a good natter on the phone…we share many things in common…but I know that they aim to scratch my back, so I want to do the same for them. with all the time, effort and money that goes into a local homeschool business (effectively supporting *me*) then surely a few dollars extra won’t break the bank. Can you buy cheaper overseas? Yes! But will you, knowing how much it costs our local Aussie homeschool businesses? (Visit here for more info on Aussie homeschool suppliers)

There are some products I simply can’t source locally, so I look to the Book Depository or other Christian homeschool suppliers- usually only once I’ve exhausted all the locals. Sometimes, I’ll purchase from these larger international stores if it means a large saving…but I always ask myself, “how much is their time/advice/expertise/knowledge worth?”

How about it? Do you think it’s worth buying from a local supplier? Is it worth supporting another homeschool family business- one that exists to serve you? Or will you still purchase from overseas?

How do you feel about Christmas? (guest post)

Today’s post is by guest blogger, Robin Sampson from Heart of Wisdom. Robin has a particular focus on the Hebraic roots of Christianity.

How do you feel about Christmas?

Do you observe it differently now compared to how you observed it when you were a child? Do you observe it at all? Did you know Christmas has pagan roots? Does that bother you?

Don’t get nervous. I’m not going to tell you what you should or shouldn’t be doing this time of year. I can’t because I don’t have it all sorted out myself.

Since the beginning of the Church, there has been controversy over pagan customs. On one side were those who wanted to ‘christianise’ the customs to win over the heathen and on the other side were those who rejected anything to do with paganism.

Some Christians observe Christmas as they always have with family traditions, Santa, etc. but with a focus on the Savior’s birth. Some avoid the Santa scene, try not to get wrapped up in materialism (pardon the pun) and focus on Christ.

Some have completely given up Christmas because of the pagan roots, or because the Puritans didn’t observe it, or the materialism, etc. Those that have given up Christmas usually face a lot of flack from friends and family.

Our Christmas Evolution

Our Christmas in the Sixties

As a child we did what everyone else did in the 60’s. Full blown Santa is coming, tinsel-decorated tree, with a big-time focus on presents. We didn’t leave out Jesus but He wasn’t the focus. My mother would read the Christmas story in front of the nativity scene on Christmas Eve. Jesus got about 15 minutes of the holidays rush.

Our Christmas in the Seventies

When my first children were toddlers (over 30 years ago) we had a birthday cake for Jesus each year. Our traditional centerpiece was a Santa kneeling over the Baby Jesus in the manger. I also took my children to have their photo taken with Santa. Santa even came to our church to pass out presents.

Our Christmas in the Eighties

By the time my oldest children were school age we dumped all Santa décor and focused on Christ. (We also stopped all Easter bunny traditions that year). We made Chrismoms (symbols of Christ) for the tree out of white and gold felt and sequins and hung them every year as we read Scripture verses for the symbol (door, crown, sheep, bread, etc). We sent out “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” Christmas cards. I remember my mother was disappointed we didn’t accept Santa and reindeer presents. The tree and stockings were still a family tradition.

Our Christmas in the Early Nineties

About 15 years ago I learned about the Bible holidays and the pagan roots of Christmas and Easter. I wanted to give up Christmas and Easter. My children were horrified. All those holiday memories! Mom has lost her mind!

We went back and forth on the topic for a few years. I wanted to at least get rid of the tree (based on Jeremiah 10:1-5). We finally made the decision not to have Christmas. It was hard. My Grandmother was crushed. (The shocked reactions from telling family and friends of homeschool and homebirth decisions pale compared to reactions we got from giving up Christmas.)

When a Christian is raised to believe that devoted family traditions bring glory to God, then finds out about pagan history and God’s ways, it’s quite a blow. God’s ways should have been taught since childhood and are now being learned in adulthood. My motives were pure. I only wanted to do what I believed God wanted us to do.

Our Christmas from Late Nineties until Now

Ten years ago we went back to celebrating Christmas. I remarried and my new husband did not want to give up Christmas (mainly because it is the only time his family gathers). I still don’t feel at peace with this decision but it is really not my call. So I make the best of it and focus on Christ. I feel God can use all things for His good.

I want to Celebrate the Birth of Christ!

I have no problem that celebrating Jesus’ birthday wasn’t commanded by God. Purim wasn’t commanded by God, but suggested by the Hebrews as an observance to remember a miracle of God. I want to celebrate the birth of Christ as a miracle of God. The most wonderful miracle of all! I would just prefer not to merge the celebration with a pagan festival. It’s a compromise I don’t feel good about.

12 Things I like About Christmas

1. Focus on Christ
2. Families getting together (for some, the only time of the year)
3. Church programs (giving to the needy, the elderly, plays, songs, etc., focusing on Christ)
4. Nativity scenes
5. Generosity
6. Caroling
7. The music (especially Handel’s Messiah)
8. The lights
9. Baking
10. Homemade gifts and cards (especially from children)
11. Goodies (fudge, cookies, nougat, and peppermint–yum)
12. Creativity (crafts, gingerbread houses, decorations, Chrismoms, etc.)

12 Things I don’t like about Christmas

1. Lack of focus on Christ
2. Pagan roots
3. Lonely people feeling lonelier
4. Christians disagreeing
5. Greed (coveting)
6. Materialism
7. Shopping, shopping and more shopping
8. Debt
9. Family stress
10. The good are rewarded philosophy that spills over in “saved by works” mentality
11. Santa worship (idolatry)
12. Political War on Christmas

God Wants us to Have Holidays (Holy Days)

God created us with a desire to have celebrations. He gave us instructions for observing seven holidays listed in Lev 23. The holidays contain more divine information of spiritual and prophetic value than any subject of scripture. Why aren’t we taught these marvelous lessons in church? The answer is found during the first through the fourth centuries.

Read What Happened to the Holidays for more information. I give you the link with a warning. Once you learn about God’s Holidays (they are God’s holidays not Jewish holidays) you will face controversies.

How does God feel about us ignoring the holidays He gave us and replacing them with other days? I’ll answer in a parable and let you decide.

A Parable

Once upon a time there was a little boy who loved his Father very much. His Father asked the boy to prepare and serve a special dinner on a particular day. The Father wrote out all the specific instructions clearly and departed for awhile expecting these instructions to be executed.

While the Father was gone the boy shared the instructions with a family friend. The family friend said, “I have a better idea. We had a party that was much more fun, let me tell you about it.” We tell mythical stories, dress up in furry costumes and make beautiful decorations and have tasty treats. The friend gave all the details and suggested they change the dinner date to another day. The boy decided the party would be more fun than the dinner and felt his father would understand. The boy undertook the friend’s party plan.

Was the Father disappointed?

The Father loved his precious son but was probably disappointed in his disobedience. To what degree would depend on two facts. 1. the age or maturity of the boy and 2. the motivation of the boy.

God Looks on the Heart

Yes, I do believe the pagan holidays are offensive to God. I also believe He is merciful. . . God looks on the heart and views our motives.

“Man looks to the outward appearance but God looks to the heart.”

The Reason for the Season

The attention of the whole world is called to acknowledge the birth of the Savior at this time of year, even if they don’t believe. Let us be careful not to get our focus off of what is important. If our desire is to celebrate or not to celebrate the birth of Jesus at this time of the year, then let that be done according to the purity of the heart and with integrity of conviction without judgment toward others.

God looks at the heart. Jesus taught against condemning one another—He taught the most important things: 1. Love God. 2. Love others. This should be our focus. Too many are condemning others on either side.

Christmas is a merging of pagan and Christian religions—it is a fact. The ultimate would be to abandon all forms of pagan worship and teach our children the ancient paths—only God’s pure worship. Then our children won’t be faced with this holiday dilemma each year.

How do we get there from here? I think it’s going to take time. Josiah changed things (2 Ch 34:3-8). He got rid of the paganism that crept in—but over a period of time. If we commit to seeking God through His Word and teach our children His Word, we will grow spiritually and God will reveal His paths.

A Season of Peace?

With so much controversy how does one have peace? Isaiah 26:3 says that if we keep our mind stayed (focused) upon God we will have perfect peace. Perfect peace was put in this verse when it actually says Shalom, Shalom.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

Let not your heart be troubled: John 14:1a

Bring peace to this season by focusing on Christ. Then celebrate Jesus in every season by loving one another.

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors. (Luke 2:14).

Of further interest:

“Should We Celebrate Christmas?” – online booklet
We Should Not Celebrate Christmas – a blog entry with several Links (pro and con)

Walking By Grace

Some of my readers may remember my where I talked about having a child who is trying to run away from the reality of God. I have shared how heart breaking this is. While it is still hard and every day brings its own challenges I would like to share some of the wonderful lessons I’m learning throughout it all.

I love to proclaim God’s grace- oh, that He should save a wretch like me and pour out His mercy, love and forgiveness upon me…me who is so undeserving. I am so aware that there is nothing I can do to earn God’s favour or His love. In fact, any of my attempts at being righteous are just as filthy rags. They are contrary to the good news of the work of the Cross. Early on in my conversion God revealed His grace. Grace is the middle name of one of my daughter’s. Grace is almost indescribable; too extraordinary. But I am thankful for His grace. I’m also thankful that while I am going through such daily heartbreak with one of my children, He has shown me more of Himself…more of what it means to live *in grace* and live *by grace*.

Every day I experience what it means to ‘live by the law’ or live by rules. Alternately, every day I also experience what it means to live in fullness of grace. How can this be? Oh, anyone who has lived with an unsaved person will probably know what I mean.

In an earlier post, I touched upon living by certain acceptable rules. You know, conduct becoming of good Christian homeschooling families. 😉 There seems to be certain codes of what is acceptable or not amongst homeschoolers. There is good behaviour and not-good behaviour. There are good activities and not-good activities.

I’ve been reassessing why I do what I do and why I don’t do certain things. Is my lifestyle determined by the rules of my faith? (Or acceptable Christian conduct) Or is my lifestyle determined by my relationship with Jesus Christ?

How about you? Have you stopped doing certain things since beginning to homeschool? Have your reasons been because of rules (being convinced by others) or by relationship with Christ and His transforming power?

It's 'that' time of year again: Christmas

Rather than totally re-post the whole post, which may make readers miss out on the great comments from a previous entry, please visit today’s post, which is actually a re-post.

How we do Christmas.

Scroll right down and read all the reader’s comments and the links to further reading.

Satan's Meeting

In similar vein to the Screwtape Letters, watch this and see if anything applies.

httpv://au.youtube.com/watch?v=DgJ-w5GSaYo

Are you convinced or convicted?

Issues, Ideals, Convictions and being Convinced…
originally written in 2000

Married at the tender age of 18, I was blissfully ignorant of domestic duties and all that married life would entail. I loved my husband dearly and I thank God for giving me such a gracious and patient man, with which to spend and share my life with. We have just recently celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary and we tend to get a little sentimental around this time of year. Only the other day John recalled the first meal I ever made him, before we were married – ham, cheese and mustard sandwiches! Well, it really is a testament to God’s greatness that we ended up married as I’m surprised that John went through with it after I nearly burnt his mouth and oesophagus with an over abundance of mustard. He had seen how I kept my bedroom in a complete and utter chaotic mess and had observed how my mother waited on me, hand and foot. How he was not at all worried or apprehensive about life after marriage I will never understand.

On our honeymoon (as a matter of survival) John taught me how to cook 3 min noodles. I already managed toast and hard boiled eggs so we lived on these for some time. After we had moved into a house I worked hard at making it into a real home, a castle for my king ! I taught myself to cook and clean house, largely through trial and error. For instance, I have learned that nylon petticoats do not fare very well if ironed. One by one children started to come along and I would read and research on parenting babies, toddlers and so forth. I have always desired to be a Proverbs 31 woman (or as close as I could possibly be), to love my husband and train my children.

Then some time later we started on this fabulous journey of Home Based Learning. Typical to my nature, I researched and devoured anything I could get my hands on. (Thanks to a good friend for all her time and patience with me during that time) I then came to a point where I was happy and content with the “what and how” of what we were doing.

In my hunger for reading and fellowship with other like minded women I read quite a few periodical magazines and many websites that are designed to encourage and teach women in their calling at home. These magazines are great and a real source of blessing. Nevertheless, there is an issue that I believe the Lord wanted me to see clearly.

I need to continually remember my salvation. My salvation came at a great price to the Father and it is only the Cross that saves. Many issues that I held dear to us are simply that. Issues! Ideals! Yes, they can add fruitfulness to my life, make us healthier, wealthier and wiser but I need to be careful that I keep preaching the Gospel of Christ. I need to see these distinctions clearly and understand the differences. There are so many issues that today’s Christian woman needs to be aware of. I can homeschool our children using the finest Christian material, while my husband runs our own home business. I can sew all the families clothes or shop exclusively at second hand stores. I can bake our own bread and grind our own flour, eat our organically grown fruit and veggies, I can wear non-patterned dresses only and never cut or colour my hair or wear makeup. To wear a head covering or not? We may not watch TV nor attend any function that isn’t termed “Christian”. To celebrate Christmas and Easter? We may listen to “Accapella” singing only, avoiding any music other than classical or ‘spiritual’. We may choose not to use soap or apply any chemical laden substance to our body. Home birth or hospital birth? Where does it end?

These are just some of the issues that I have pondered, questioned and had to speak with my husband about. I’m sure there are more as there is nothing new under the sun. Some of these issues are quite valid and can be of immense benefit to our families . Often times though, when we as wives, have either stumbled across something that has been wonderful for us or that the Lord has led us to, we latch on to that and become so convinced of its merit and excited about it that we want to share it with everyone. Somewhere, somehow, amidst all this, something goes awry!

These things become the measuring stick. Oi voi, this is not good nor right. We stand ourselves up against these things to find out how we are going as a Christian woman. It is no wonder I often feel inadequate and as though I fall short! My dear husband even asked me to stop reading some of the material. The articles and books themselves aren’t bad but that they can be used in ways to take our focus away from the Truth! The Reality! Jesus Christ! Let us only preach the gospel of Christ. I have learned that I need to sit back and allow the Holy Spirit to convict me rather than being convinced of all manner of things that sound noble or righteous. When the Holy Spirit convicts, it is solid and real. The Holy Spirit doesn’t need all manner of sound logic and reasonable persuasion. If you have an ‘issue’ in your life, that is causing you angst or doubt or concern, take it to the Lord. Seek Him, study the Word and trust that in this the Holy Spirit will lead you in all truth.

Home Based Learning, for John and I is a conviction. Not a preference, but a conviction. It is not just another educational alternative but a calling from God. We don’t want to ever convince another family to homeschool but if the Holy Spirit convicts them, then I’d like to offer them encouragement and be there for fellowship. We need to be careful that we don’t spread the “Gospel of Homeschooling” before we spread the Good News of Jesus, which is essential for salvation.

The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you.
John 14:26
The Message

Blogging Addictions? Blogging Balance? (by Robin Sampson)

Today’s post is not my own writing. It is from a dear lady, Robin Sampson. This article was a blog post and you can see it in real time over on her blog. While you’re there, you might like to subscribe to her blog and receive updates of all her new blog posts- it’s worth it!

This morning I read two blogs Susan recommended warning Christian ladies about blogging addictions. Those Sneaky Idols and Blogging: What’s Your Motivation? Both posts made several excellent points.

We can turn anything into sin if it’s out of balance or if we have the wrong motivation. Shoes, make-up, food, TV, sports, pets, etc. can become addictions or idols. Volunteer work at church can become sin when it’s out of balance (before family) or done with the motivation to win approval. Balance and motivation are the keys.

God Created us with a Desire for Relationships

Christianity is about relationships – relationships with God, and relationships with other people. Blogging or reading and commenting on a blog are ways to interact and develop relationships.

In Bible times women interacted daily at the well or gathering animals, etc. They also lived with extended families (grandma, aunts, cousins, etc.). Today’s American women are isolated and crave the company of other women. We don’t go to the community well each morning but we can go on the Internet.

Blogging and leaving comments are great ways we can encourage one another or bear one another’s burdens. There are going to be times when we just don’t have much strength and we need encouragement from others. God tells us,

Think of ways to encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:24)
…build each other up… (1 Thess 5:11)
Bear one another’s burdens. (Gal 6:2)

Encouragement is a special expression of love helping us to focus on God and resist sin! “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13.

I don’t feel guilty about blogging or commenting when it is in balance. My reasons for blogging are listed at Five Reasons I Blog. I need relationships. God made me that way. However, the first relationship I need is God. If my time is spent anywhere else before I spend time with the Lord, it is out of balance.

What About Blogging Awards?

Blogging awards are a way to tell others about a blog you recommend. No different than telling a friend you know someone she should meet–someone that is like-minded. I found so many special blogs, I created Spiritual Sunday Meme as a place to list encouraging links weekly. (HOW depends on word-of-mouth because we don’t have the funds to advertise.) Blogging awards shouldn’t be motivation but certainly can be an encouragement, just like comments. Again–balance and motivation are keys.

Our Most Important Relationship

We can only encourage others and bear one another’s burdens when our relationship with God is in order. When I fail to take in spiritual nutrition, daily Bread, I walk in my flesh; I am too weak to battle the fiery darts; I am too weak to take every thought captive.

But when I take the time to read God’s powerful Word I get strength and wisdom. It is only through this essential two-way communication—prayer and Bible study—that we build our relationship with God. And only then do we get the strength to walk in His ways, resist temptations, and gain the wisdom to make the right choices that will affect our entire lives (and our children’s and grandchildren’s lives).

Max Anders said,

“It matters to God how we use our time. It is something which He has given us. We don’t own it. We are responsible to manage it for Him. It doesn’t mean we must always work. Part of our time should be used in recreation and rest, the development and enjoyment of relationships. But we must be aware of how we use our time, and use it wisely” (30 Days to Understanding the Bible).

If you are on the Internet to the point that you put aside Bible study, recognize this as a signal, like recognizing hunger pain as a signal to eat, that it is TIME for Bible study and prayer. Time is limited. It is like a handbreadth. Use it well.

“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

What do you think? Are you a good steward of your time? Is Bible study a priority in your day? Pray about evaluating your schedule and ask God to lead!

Blogging Addiction? Ironic Post

After my last post, I thought I’d do a quick quiz. Guess what? It’s official! I am not as addicted to blogging as I once was. There, I read it on a website so it’s gotta be true eh?

Actually, the only reason I scored 68% is because I know what I’m doing with blogs, not because I blog regularly or frequently. So I use RSS instead of manually checking individual blogs? Doesn’t mean I’m addicted…but it does mean I’m trying to be efficient with my time. So, I represent, resemble, er resent that score of 68%. 😉

68%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

How about you? Are you a blog addict? Here are ten signs that may indicate that you have an addiction.

Bloglines, Google Reader or some other RSS reader is constantly open on your computer’s desktop.
You tell customers/friends that you missed a project deadline because “some things” came up but in reality, you were blogging.
You periodically dream that you are blogging.
You get inspiration for new blog posts at the strangest times – in the spa, on the softball diamond, while reading a book aloud to your children, while showering… you get the picture.
Before blogs, you used to tuck the kids into bed at night. Now you check for unapproved blog comments before heading to bed yourself.
In order for your family to keep up with what’s going on in your life, they have to read your blog. Furthermore, if they want to communicate with you, they have to comment on your blog.
You have actually considered setting up a blog for your pet of which you would post the entries pretending you are your pet (weirdo).
You can’t remember dates for your wedding anniversary, kids birthdays, etc., but you know what your Technorati rank is.
You blog about anything and everything including bad meals, your pets, getting your car stuck in snow, conversations you have in the bathroom, etc.
Keeping a blog is no longer enough but you now have to record your every move on Twitter.

Nah, I’m sure I’m the only one who has experienced those things…none of you gals (generally my reader base are women) would know what I’m talking about eh? 😉

Downfall of Homeschool Blogging

I love blogs! I like blogging! I also love online forums and communities. I believe they have different purposes. I’ve often said that some people need to stop ranting on forums and get themselves a blog! Forums are for sharing ideas, resources, etc whereas I see blogs (within the home-school community) for personal sharing, ranting and raving and expressing one’s own thoughts, being as biased or straight forward as one likes. Your blog is your personal soap-box. Forums are a bit different and much more netiquette is needed.

B U T …

I believe that the blogging explosion has stolen something from community forums.

Think about your early days of homeschooling. Did you belong to an online forum, email group or online community? Did you receive help and support? After having received help and support are you now one who gives support? Have you noticed that as the blogosphere has grown the online community forums have diminished? How do you feel about this? How do you think newbies feel about this? ( I don’t have the answers – feel free to comment)

I love having my online home, where I can decorate as I like, rant and rave…write or not write! But, I will never give up forums…I love the combined effort that online communities offer. I started blogging as I found I was writing the same answers over and over again – it seemed more time efficient to simply put it in one place, but I know that many people prefer a more personal response – they prefer forums. So, I will continue to be a part of online communities – it’s my way of trying to serve others.

Blogging can be addictive.(It has it’s own dangers= the lure of popularity, to come up with ‘new’ information or thoughts, etc) To be a self publisher and see one’s own words in print – wow! Once one starts to post regularly the comments start rolling in…one can gain in popularity, get ranked in the blogging social bookmarking sites. It all looks rather professional really. However, there are dangers that every Christian needs to be aware of. Guard your heart.

Online communities offer something that the blogosphere doesn’t or can’t by its very nature. An online community can offer support, encouragement, information, resources, laughter, fellowship in the one place – from more than one member! Which means one can go on holiday and feel at peace- instead of worrying about the readers wondering when the next blog post will be written.

We’re created to be part of a community…and the blogosphere provides an online community – to an extent. But community forums are where newbies go for help first…

So I ask, why do you blog? Are you blogging for you or with the heart motive of serving other’s. Should the answer to this question change your actions at all?

Wholesome Dolls for Little Girls

Bravo Grandma!!!!! Well, she’s not my Grandma but she’s obviously a lady who has an opinion, cares deeply about morals and decided to try to be part of the solution!

clipped from www.news.com.au

A PERTH grandmother was so appalled by “s*xed-up” dolls in toy shops, she created and launched her own wholesome range.

I will keep an eye out for these dolls.

clipped from www.news.com.au

“I wanted dolls that depicted real Australian children, not something that was unattainable, such as Barbies with their ridiculous figures,” she said.

“We need good wholesome play and good role models that are happy and content in themselves – and that’s what the Australian Girl storylines on the website are all about – to help girls be happy with their own Australian uniqueness and not always thinking of the external.

Where Are the Parents of Teens?

My days have seemed, at times, to drag on while the years have just flown by!

I often wondered why there weren’t many parents of teens around the forums. I wanted to glean from them but they often weren’t around and if they were, they didn’t seem to be talking about the same kind of homeschooling messages that I wanted to hear.

Now, I think I am one of them. I love to talk and write about what we’re doing but a few things things roam through my head.

Life is an Education – Life Happens

Bookwork, lessons and learning just quietly potter along in the background- automatic pilot. I used to get so excited over teaching the children and then seeing them make connections and grow academically but after awhile I realised that they would continue to learn what they needed to know regardless of how much I stressed, planned or pondered over their curriculum. I also find it so much more exciting to witness their character growth, their developments as people rather than simply their academic achievements. But I’m not going to brag, er write about all that, am I? So, as real life has become more in our lives, the bookwork has taken a backseat.

Privacy

My children’s privacy. Years ago, online, I used to share my children’s narrations and all those other little things that are cute, funny, weird, unusual and make for good blog fodder but as they’ve gotten older I’ve come to see that I need to respect their privacy more. Yes, many people know of my children. Many people know that one of my children was a very late reader…that one struggles with Maths…etc but as they get older, I don’t want other homeschoolers to recognise them as “Susan’s child- the one that struggled with maths“. So, as my children have started to experience more of life and developed their own interests, I have wanted to share but I respect their privacy as well. But also, who really wants to hear about coffee beans, coffee grinding, and roasting as well as milk texturing and pouring all the time?

Developing My Own Interests

The other point is that I have been able to develop my own interests. I have been able to take on my own projects which may or may not be directly related to home education. They are related because home education is a lifestyle but in another sense, they are *my* passion and interest and others will most likely bore of them.

Maybe this is all part of the circle… maybe I’m not meant to stay around forever. I love and appreciate Beverley Paine and her commitment to the homeschooling community and there was a time when I wanted to always be around for supporting the homeschooling community, but I don’t know if it is right for me to do so. Times change, circumstances change, movements evolve…I need to move on too.

I’d love to be as articulate as a dear friend of mine who is beginning to post regularly, but alas my verbosity is nowhere near as rich, concise or relevant as her. If you like to be mentally stimulated, do check out BeyondBluestockings.

So, if you want to hear all about coffee, Air Force Cadets, web design, web tools, Bible study, my latest rants on social issues and what we’re having for tea, feel free to visit my blog as I may decide to post here. Then again, I may not. I don’t know. I just know that I’m not the right person to be raving on about curriculum choices and occupying toddlers. Who knows? Maybe it will all come back to me when I’m a grandma eh?

Worthwhile Pastimes – Discerning the Value in Hobbies

This post was originally a response to a question posted on a forum

On a delightful forum that I visit, another homeschool mum asked about her child’s pastime and questioned if it is worthwhile…should she encourage it, institute rules for it or discourage it. Having used a delight directed, relaxed, identity-directed, Spirit led, Bible-First approach for a few years I wrote in with my 2c worth, which I’ll copy and paste below.

I wonder if many relaxed or delight directed home schoolers face this…it strikes at the nature of homeschooling, doesn’t it? This is an issue that we have faced with at least 2 of our children so far…especially the two children who are the most intense in their personality. But this can be a good thing – as they mature, they can tend to approach all their work and efforts with passion, working hard at it, focusing on it and giving their best.

Everybody is a genius. But, if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid. -Albert Einstein

Rather than try to look at the product of those activities, be it comic books, softball, computers, games or drawing…I’ve tried to focus on The Process. Now I still want it to be enjoyable for them. I don’t want to make it a school lesson and suck all the joy from it but as a Christian who also sees the value of natural learning I want them to live by Christian principles as well.

So I allow them to take after me!!! Eek, now that’s a scary thought! (Truly, the heart and soul of the learning at home lifestyle) I love web design and could easily spend 14 hours a day on my computer, building and designing as well as writing. I enjoy doing many things, which may or may not become productive one day. In fact, I’m quite sure it is productive but that still doesn’t mean that there are no guidelines. There are still chores, errands and duties that I must tend to first.

I also see the academic/spiritual/mental and /or physical nature in the activities I pursue. This helps me to focus on the process, not just the product.

I actually find it easier to parent the child who does have these interests – there is something to ‘work with’. For I can help this child to learn the value of self discipline, diligence, patience, sowing/reaping, etc within and throughout their journey with their ‘obsession’. An ‘obsession’ or interest gives me opportunity to teach many worthwhile life skills. Yahoo!

Teach them of the pitfalls of their interest. If the child is a boy, teach him of your concerns, so he may be educated about it. Teach him that a possible pitfall is that it can be an expensive hobby, addictive, take time away from family (and in the future his wife), contain anti Christian thought and other political/socio propaganda. As you go through each day, walking, sitting, reading, driving, talk to him about it .I tell my children everything – every thought that pops into my head! (Poor kids) I tell them of the possible pitfalls but also of the positives that they can learn throughout it all.

Who knows what skills can be learned throughout this interest? Talk to your husband about it. Who knows where it will lead? Even if it doesn’t lead anywhere, what valuable skills can be learned throughout it? Giving our children the freedom to pursue their interests is one of the greatest gifts we can give them.

You could try and fit it into lessons- so he can earn credits for it. I have made up a few notebooks for our interests (softball and coffee). These allow the parent to ‘see’ productivity and maybe one day go toward a credit as it can go into their portfolio. How fantastic would this be for an employer- if a prospective employee turned in a huge notebook of his work, relating to his interest even in a vague way? It shows a lot about the person’s character.

My notebooks go into everything from the history, rules, types, skills, political, social, geographical information as well as reading biographies or doing biographical sketches of notable people with that field. I’d just say not to focus too heavily on this part. If you have a funday or a light day in your homeschool, you could ask him to do some work on this project on that day – once a week. Who knows where it will lead?

Lastly, I have taught my children about true education. if I think they are spending too much time on something I may ask them what they are learning or working on. Tehee, this usually gets them thinking- if they can’t think of anything useful, educational or productive then I suggest that maybe they need to devote the morning to something more worthwhile. This is important to me because I don’t just want to teach my children academics at home – I want them to learn about education, so they can truly know what is education and what is ‘busy work’. This is part of a life skill – learning to discern the root thought of an attitude and make a decision whether or not it is worthy to participate in.

A little dirt for a clean bill of health

My children were always playing outside in the dirt, climbing trees, or out in the backyard. It was good for them in so many ways- but one of the reasons was that John and I felt that exposure to a little dirt (bacteria) would be good for strengthening and building their immune system.

I’ve been rather amused yet also alarmed at all the anti bacterial washes, wipes and related products that are for home use! I mean, all those silly ads- always with mothers and their babies who go near a clean looking bin and the mother freaks out…but it’s okay, she’s got her handy dandy anti bacterial wipes. Doh!

My concern is that children don’t have the opportunity to build up their natural immune system by coming into contact with these regular bugs. I think the more we use these anti bacterial products, the more we assist those nasty super bugs to grow and evolve.

But it’s all okay- now it is *news*.

KEEPING the house sparkling clean may be making your children sick, research shows.

The “hygiene hypothesis” suggests exposing children to certain bacteria can help develop their immune systems, while a sterile environment can increase the risk of disease.

Research to be published in the journal Nature today gives a boost to this theory.

American scientists found specially modified mice raised in a germ-free environment developed “robust” type 1 diabetes.

When the mice were given the friendly bacteria found in the human gut, the incidence of diabetes fell.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, while the more common type 2 diabetes is more likely to be lifestyle-related.

The authors concluded that intestinal microbes, which travel from food and the surrounding environment into an infant’s gastrointestinal tract, have a critical effect on the immune system.

Melbourne autoimmune expert Professor Leonard Harrison said the study was “compelling evidence” that living conditions were linked to diabetes. “Clean conditions increase and dirty conditions decrease diabetes incidence,” he said.

Flinders Medical Centre Director of Endocrinology Professor Nikolai Petrovsky said the “exciting and seminal paper” showed the importance of breastfeeding for infants followed by a healthy diet that includes yoghurts and cheeses with “good” bacteria.

Cumberland Park father Dave Bastin said the important thing was to be sensible about hygiene. “My son (Daniel, 3) at the moment is up to his elbows in sand outside . . . he’s pretty healthy apart from the normal sorts of things,” he said.

So it’s safe to let your children outside to play outside again… Whew, thank goodness for modern day research.

Delight Directed Education wins 3rd place!

Oops! I had intended to pop back earlier with our exciting news but the days just seemed to skip ahead of me. Last week, we attended the local (State) Barista Championships where our 17yodd was competing in the Latte Art section.

She was up against two former Australian Champions and others who were veteran barista’s and competitors. She was the only female competing in that category and by far the youngest barista.

She placed 3rd! How absolutely exciting! 3rd in this state! We were so ridiculously excited and happy for her. Actually she finished equal 2nd but they went decided to count back and go into percentages (which is odd as they don’t do that for the general barista comp but who’s complaining?) and she ended up placing 3rd- one point behind the 2nd place-getter.

Well, hasn’t she just had a full-on week since? She has had various photo shoots (including a hair and make-up session) for the paper, and then centre where she works. She feels a little odd as they want to put her photo around various places in the mall- congratulations and a form of advertisement. She received a RB tamper worth over $100 so she is totally chuffed. She also won some prize money, a trophy and was presented with a sash. A tamp is a tool used in the making of espresso. She’s being interviewed for another paper and has also been contacted by Master Roasters (official name for those who roast beans) and CoffeeHouses. Whew, what a whirlwind week.

However, as parents, none of that has been as impressive as seeing our child work hard and apply themselves, focus on the process and not the outcome and then try something new that takes them out of their comfort zone. Miss17 was as nervous as anything for the week before the competition. She purchased all her own table setting and practiced on us for some time. However, she has never even been to a Barista Championship before let alone competed in one so didn’t have a clue what to do or expect. She has told me that she just kept her eyes and ears open to learn from those more experienced and that she kept learning right up and during her performance! She said she learnt from the barista’s who went before her and incorporated some new things into her routine. This is a sign of a lifestyle of learning- her [delight-directed education] homeschooling years have prepared her well. It wouldn’t have bothered us one bit had she not have placed, even if she had come last! What mattered to us was the whole process- the working, the attitude, the attempts, the learning, the failing, the trying again, the attitude, etc. Oh, did I mention attitude? 😉

Barista Championships

So the HUGE expensive espresso machine is now gone from our kitchen and I’m back to our small but trusty Sunbeam. But it’s so much easier to keep clean. The other $5000 (yes, five thousand dollars worth of coffee machine has been in our kitchen for the last month!) was so large it overtook the whole kitchen! It was also messier. But really, who’s complaining?

I wonder what’s next?

Time Management Using Rocks and Sand

I once heard a [homeschool mother] speaker demonstrate this story. It stuck with me and has helped me plan my days, terms and years. I also recalled reading in a book by Stephen Covey. The was called First Things First. I post it here in the hope that it will help others.

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high powered over-achievers, he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.”

Then he pulled out a one gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set on the table in front of him. He then produced about a dozen fist sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is the jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.”

Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in, and shook the jar, causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered.

“Good!” he replied.

He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar, and it went into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is the jar full?” “No!” the class shouted.

Once again he said, “Good!”

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One eager student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard, you can always fit some more things in!” “No,” the speaker replied, “That’s not the point.”

The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.

What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life? Your children….Your loved ones…Your education… Your dreams…A worthy cause…..Teaching or mentoring others…. Doing things that you love…Time for yourself…. Your health….Your significant other.”

“Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first, or you’ll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you’ll fill your life with little things to worry about that don’t really matter, and you’ll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks).

So, tonight or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.

If you’d like to illustrate this story to your children, you might find this Sunday School lesson helpful.

Theresa has found the perfect Yr 1 curriculum!

Oh! An Internet, friend in the US has found the perfect curriculum for Grade 1. If you have little children, you won’t want to miss this post of hers. So run- okay well, quickly click this link to read The Mother Lode’s great find.

Physical activity and boys

Awhile ago I mentioned that ‘Master J’ had joined Air Force cadets. what I hadn’t mentioned is how it all came about. I find it quite an interesting story…I’d love to hear of your *boy* stories if you’d like to share.

About one year ago, DH and I spoke together about trying to encourage ‘Master J’ to find an interest to pursue – something other than the computer! He was in no hurry to find any interests. Hmmm, we could see he needed a little incentive.

So we truthfully told him that if he could not find an activity to try we would find one for him. This didn’t really bother him, at first, until he realised what we were getting at. we didn’t put too many rules on the activity except I wanted something that was:

1) Physical. I believe it is important for boys (boys entering puberty and growing to be young men) to exercise, build strong muscles and bones, learn to adjust to their growing strength and become comfortable in their developing bodies. It also helps to burn off all that extra energy that comes with being a hormone laden boy.

2) I wanted something that required a little bit of daily practice- whether or not it be physical or mental but he needed to have something to do each day.

All the other wonderful things that I wanted him to learn can happen through many activities so I don’t even bother to list them but I would have been very happy if his chosen activity was not a sport. I think, particularly for boys, a sport can be a very good thing but it can also have some negatives, especially if not dealt with vigilantly. Sport can create an appetite that isn’t conducive to a happy family life later on…it can be very time consuming, a bottomless money pit and can even see a man being away from his wife for extended periods of time so while I thoroughly believe that sport, especially team sport, can be a good thing, it also has many points that need to be carefully weighed and measured.

We gave him 3 months in which to find an activity, and find out all the information needed to join or else we would sign him up to an activity of our choosing- one which he may not like but would be most convenient for us. There was a ballet studio just down the road and ballet would also fulfil my two requirements. (Convenience is not a factor for us usually. If a child desires to do something and pursues it diligently then we will do whatever is necessary to facilitate and support them but if they’re just being slackers then we give them likewise support yet try to be a living example in our own lives).

Well, we have never seen a child run so fast to the Internet and research, research, research! He spent a few hours looking for things to do!!! Anything…to avoid ballet.

However, as is quite typical with our family, we weren’t able to follow through with our plans as within 2 days we had been told that we were moving interstate again! Okay, so that whole plan went down the drain. ‘Master J’ smirked in delight, thinking he had escaped and could quietly sneak back to his favourite position on the computer.

After moving and staying in apartments for a few months, we finally learned what area we’d be staying in and guess what…yup, there was a ballet school not too far away! So, the deal was back on. Postponed a little but back on, nevertheless! Suffice to say that ‘Master J’ quickly found an activity.

He has joined the Air Force Cadets. I think he takes after his father as he seems to have the attitude and makings of an excellent soldier. He is very diligent in all matters relating to cadets. It has even motivated him to be more diligent with his lessons!! Hey, that’s gotta be a good thing eh?

Through cadets I have been able to teach him how to iron his uniforms, which he completely does all by himself now- from washing, drying and ironing, even mending, which his father had to do teach him. He polishes his boots weekly and he practises his drill daily. He even drills ‘Master C’ , who just soaks it all up.

Oh, did I mention table manners and general manners? He’s always been fairly good with manners but he has been a stickler for excellent manners lately- he’s even corrected me at the meal table! Apparently I was passing the salt around the table the wrong way. 😉 (One should pass always to the right, y’know?)

He has done his recruit course and had his first bivouac ( weekend out bush) and loved it! However more than him having fun, I have seen him grow and develop as a male. It’s great! He’s growing in responsibility, manners, work ethic, and all those other character traits that we want to see in our children. He is learning the value of team work – that the world is bigger than him and that the way to achieve is to give of oneself, etc. He’s learning the all important lesson of consequences…and of reaping and sowing.

Ah, I am one happy mama. How about you? Have you found it beneficial or necessary to get boys involved in something phyiscal? What did you do? I’d love to hear of your positive and/or negative stories of life with your boys.

Addendum to car-less

ADDENDUM

Ack, what started as a good day turned sour. We left home and walked to the bus stop at 3pm. Just missed the bus! Waited for the next one but meanwhile ‘Miss R’ called me, panicking as to the whereabouts of her work uniform. I was dropping it at the mall for her to pick up after school, but I was late. She knew the bus wasn’t going to get us there on time so a friend started driving her down the roads to try and meet us. But the bus did come and we were on our way.

We reached the agreed meeting place and ‘Miss R’ was NOT there!!!! She was looking for me and getting herself into a right panic. Man, she should have trusted me more. I was going to call a taxi. My next call was to tuck the uniform under ‘Miss A’ ‘s arm and send her sprinting the 4km’s to work! Hey, I figure she’s an athlete who trains 2 hours a day so she should be up for it eh?

Anyway, ‘Miss R’ got to work okay. ‘Master J’ had a haircut. We did some shopping but realised that I had better not buy laundry detergent and toilet paper unless I wanted to carry it all home on the bus!

We went to ‘Miss R’ ‘s work to wait for her to finish. I didn’t know if she was coming home or if she had made plans to go to a friend’s place, so we waited. (I didn’t want her catching a bus home at 6pm- too late and dark), As it turns out, she did have plans but in all the kafuffle we hadn’t communicated. We all walked to the bus stop and waited for the bus. Bus trip. Departed bus and walked home where ‘Miss R’ ‘s friend was madly ringing the phone, calling to see if she was okay. ‘Miss R’ goes out to friend’s house. Oh, DH is at work tonight and won’t be home until morning. These overnighter’s are a downer- especially with a teenage family.

Thankfully, ‘Miss A’ is a bit of a health and fitness nut so she had prepared dough for healthy pizza and she fed us! Ah, thank you Lord! She spent the next hour madly practising her latte art for the Barista competition tomorrow. She’s pretty nervous. John and I are overdosed on coffee. My kitchen was overtaken by coffee beans, machines, grinders, cups, milk and everything else. One day I’ll blog about it as it has been a good experience, but I’ll be glad when this competition is over. if she is going to compete regularly we have planned to section an area off in the shed and she can practice out there. Sounds means? Wait till I post post photo’s of my kitchen!

That’s about it- day in the life of us…us with no car.

Car-less

Argh, how frustrating it is to be without a car! I have ‘Miss A’ who is now taking public transport everywhere…and getting lost, ending up on the wrong side of town. ‘Miss R’ is okay as she usually takes the bus to school, friends, work and home again.

But it’s hurting me! I haven’t got a car to go and get groceries or get a haircut or pop to the library. Arghhh!

We are down to one car. DH’s work car blew a coil a few weeks ago but it wasn’t a problem then as he was away in Victoria with work so I had the van. But now he’s back (Yay) but takes the car to work everyday.

I’m used to going to the sore in the late morning or early afternoon so that I can get back home and have tea prepared by the time everyone comes home from work…but this hasn’t been happening. I’m all outta whack!

We went looking at private car sales yesterday but with no luck. ‘Miss A’ wants to buy a car with her savings. We’re looking at approximately $2000. but we want something that will be fairly reliable and safe. So in the meantime, it’s back to being car-less for yet another week.

Have I ever mentioned that I love progress and technology?

Spring is here – time for a change

Oh can’t you feel it? The colder months are behind us and the sun is starting to peek out from behind the clouds. Ah, this is more like it.

I loved the Queensland weather. I was never cold. Then we came back down to South Australia and I can’t remember the last time I was warm. let alone hot. Now in all honesty, it isn’t that bad. Especially compared to Canberra or Victoria but I didn’t like the weather there either. But it’s spring and I can just feel the change! I’m so excited.

To herald in the warmer months, I thought it was time to redecorate. If I lived in my own home I would probably have planted spring bulbs or have stencilled some floral art work on the walls but this is our 7th home in 7 years so redecorating is not on my agenda. But I can redecorate my online home. So here’s my new theme. Yes, back to the lavender, muted purple colours. I can’t help but go back to florals. It was either that or coffee colours but I don’t need any encouragement in that area- I already drink too much coffee! I hope this theme works for you. I’ve tested it on a few different browsers and it works for me.

So is anyone spring cleaning? Planting seedlings? Re-modelling? What personal or family projects do you have to work on over the spring months?

Fragrant atmosphere of our home

Diary Day: Tuesday

With my dh away I was able to wake up slowly and at a time when I wanted to- rather than jumping out of bed at 6am to prepare breakfast. I hopped up, made a cuppa and snuggled back in bed with a book. (I miss my hubby though) Then I showered and went around and opened up all the blinds, which in turn slowly woke the children up.

Today is not a normal day. Actually, as the children have gotten older we never have normal days. Each day is different, unusual and brings a new set of delights, eventful happenings, trials and tribulations.

Over breakfast (‘Miss A’ had an omelette while the boys had cereal), I read from the Scriptures and we talked about the Holy Spirit- how to hear Him in our lives and what role He plays. While sharing over pancakes we also started talking about the effects of guilt and how far we can go down the slippery slope- how important it is to keep listening to the Holy Spirit, how we need to shush more so we might hear. We then start talking about the requirements of a deacon and elder and how they must be of sound mind, self controlled, etc, We looked at various passages in 1Timothy. It was a productive yet informal time of getting round God’s word. ‘Miss R’ made pancakes for her breakfast so everyone sat down to Second Breakfast. ‘Miss R’ has a scheduled day off school today but we have an appointment at the school later on in the afternoon.

‘Miss A’ gets into her exercise plan, the boys start their bookwork and I sit down over a cappacino with ‘Miss R’ year old and we share in a deep and meaningful conversation about things in her life. We don’t get as much opportunity to do this anymore so I seize the moment whenever it presents itself.

We leave home at 12.45pm. ‘Miss A’ goes to work and I take ‘Miss R’ to the school as we have a Subject Planning meeting, in preparation for her Yr 11 studies next year. What was scheduled to be a 15min meeting took over an hour!! I don’t know why… ‘Miss R’ is then dropped at a friend’s house for the afternoon and evening.

They boys have finished their bookwork and ‘Master J’ is getting ready, ironing his uniform for Cadets tonight. Tuesday night is pretty hectic at our place, even more so when DH is away. Tuesday’s are not my favourite day but… that’s life.

I potter around the house, fixing potatoes and boiled eggs for tea, calling my dad and generally just ‘being at home and with the children’. I ring ‘Miss R’ quickly just to check in and say hi- and respond to her text messages. We (boys and I) eat a quick tea and head out the door at 5.30pm for Cadets. ‘Miss A’ leaves work and goes to softball training.

‘Master C’ and I head home, alone. (I enjoy the solitude but I miss my hubby) It’s so quiet. He has some quiet time on the computer (first for the day) while I do dishes and clean up then sit down to watch some tv. Not for long though!!!!!

We leave home at 9pm to pick ‘Miss A’ up from training. I printed out directions from whereis.com despite the fact that I vow and declare that I will never again trust them. Argh…I promise myself yet AGAIN that I will never trust their directions as we got lost, in the dark, again! I blamed ‘Master C’ ‘s navagting skills but it turned out that it wasn’t his fault at all. There was a No Through Road which was not marked on the directions!

Finally, we pick ‘Miss A’ up and by this time, the orange fuel light is glaring its horrid, hungry stare at me, threatening to go on a hunger strike. Argh! Fuel up! We continue on and pick ‘Master J’ up from Cadets and he talks us all silly about his night. lol. Actually he has met another Christian homeschooler, so that’s a bit of a bonus! Of course, a late night outing just isn’t complete with a quick drive-thru Macca’s to get a .50c cone eh!!! Then, we swing by ‘Miss R’ ‘s friends house and pick ‘Miss R’ up. Eventually, at 10.40pm we arrive home, tired, hungry and a little cold. (I can’t wait till hubby comes home)

Everyone fixes a snack for themselves and then s l o w l y starts to turn in for the night. ‘Miss A’ wants to talk and tell me about her day. She’s an early riser though and starts work at 8am tomorrow so she heads off to bed. ‘Miss R’ wants to talk again so makes me a cuppa and natters to me. ‘Master J’ is still running around, hyper from the evening activities-despite my pleadings and warnings for him to go to bed! 11pm is lights out and DH calls to say goodnight. We hang up at 11.45pm and then I mentally review the day and the children’s needs- I make a mental note to make sure we do some reading aloud tomorrow, but I am glad that we had such great discussions today. I thank the Lord for all His blessings and His abundance and I spend a few minutes in prayer for family before…zzzzzz zzzzzz…

Did I mention I’ll be extremely glad to see John???

Another Reason To Homeschool?

Whilst tempted to write with my usual verbosity, I’m also overcome with a sense of sad shock at the absurdity of this situation. However, sadly, I guess I now have another reason to add to my list of responses when asked,

Why do you homeschool?

So my children can turn cartwheels and handstands whenever they wish!

So absurd it doesn’t even warrant a fully fledged post.

Diary Day: Monday 25th Aug

The boys got stuck in and did most of their book work this morning. ‘Miss A’ made me pancakes with fresh strawberries and cream with fresh cappuccino for breakfast and then she went to work. I pottered around a bit and spoke to DH, who has been away for a week, on the phone.

It’s such a beautiful day today (finally) so we went outside to do some weeding. The boys were a great help as they also cleaned out the car. While weeding I had the opportunity to share with the boys about the nature of weeds- what a weed is and isn’t…how they grow and spread and how to effectively eradicate them. Weeding needs constant attention…one must always be on guard against weeds if one desires to have a clean garden. Some weeds can spread fast, underground and their roots go very deep. I explained that our lives can be like this if we’re not careful. We need to continually be on the lookout for the ‘weeds in our lives’ that can seemingly go unnoticed until one day they spring up and seem to overtake the garden and all the beautiful, productive plants growing in it.

Then we came inside and had some lunch. ‘Master C’ made himself an omelette and we talked about the seasons over our lunch. Oh we also read a chapter from Created for Work, a book for boys by Bob Schulz. We talked about trees and this led to getting a General Knowledge book out and flicking through it as we talked about how to tell the age of a tree. We learned that there is a large tree, called a Sequioa in North Carolina so we googled to have a look. Turns out that the General Sherman is the biggest giant sequoia, and also the biggest tree in the world. He is 83.8 m (274.9 feet) tall, his girth at breast height is 24,10 m (79 feet) (near the ground it is 31,3 m or 102,6 feet). The width of the crown is 33 m, and the first branch starts only at 40 m or 130 feet!

We cleaned up after lunch and went back outside to finish the gardening and tidying. we spoke more about weeds and how we need to completely remove the (bulb) root, else the weed will come back thicker and stronger than before. Hmmm, sin is like that. I really enjoy sharing with my children while using metaphors, analogies and object lessons. I thank God that He gives me opportunity to do so each day and I hope that I stay alert for these opportunities and that I don’t become complacent.

The boys then had some free time while I vacuumed the floors. Then I had to zip down the street for a short time so the boys finished their lessons. They had one subject left.

We had a fairly rowdy tea, which is quite common in our home. Everyone jumped in and helped with their chores and we settled down to the evening.

Only 4 more sleeps until Dad (DH) gets home!!!!! 🙂

Teaching Reading: the HomeGrownKids Way

A few days ago I posted about realising and accepting that unschooling is my default mode of parenting. This following post is in response to Katie’s question.

Hi Susan, I really enjoy reading your writings, and are pleased you are continuing to blog. This radical unschooling is something I’d really like to try. I had a 9+ year old boy who is verrry slow to pick up reading. I am trying to do a bit with him every day – he knows all his sounds – phonograms in isolation, but when put into words and sentences – that’s when we have trouble. Do you get your children reading then use an unschooling method, or do you wait until they are ready – which there is no guarantee of an age. Would appreciate your comments on this matter.

Hi Katie,

Thanks for being patient and not expecting my response immediately. That shows strength and graciousness. I am happy to share my experiences but please bear in mind that they are my experiences…I don’t expect that it suits everyone or that our way is the only definitive way to do things. So, with that I will offer my initial thoughts…

Relaaxxx…

I taught my girls using a fairly rigorous phonics program and they learned to read at quite young ages. The have continued to read of fairly high quality and they still love books. Then came my boys. Different story. I tried to teach ‘Master J’ using phonics but he just didn’t get it. We’d try- he wouldn’t get it- I’d put it all on the back-burner for a few months and try again. He still didn’t get it. I thought this boy would never learn how to read, let alone enjoy reading. We weren’t unschoolers at that point- I was constantly striving to be a perfect homeschooler.

I slowly started to see that I had pushed the girls prematurely. Oh it wasn’t all a waste as we had a good time and strengthened our relationship but I wasted many hours of work and stress. It was all around this time that I started to see that my children were able to learn many thing without direct instruction from me…but I had to help by finding out what motivated them.

My Late Reader

I actually stopped trying to teach ‘Master J’ to read when he was about 9 years old. Oh there was part of me that worried…but stressing over it and pushing him was only giving us a sense of frustration and agitation. I figured that if I couldn’t teach him to read in peace and harmony then maybe he’d be better off not learning to read just yet.

While perusing through the second hand shops one day I came across a whole set of books that I thought looked good for boys. Hey, if nothing else I could pass them on to someone else, eh. I came home and put them in my ‘give away’ box (actually I have a few of those boxes) and then I promptly forgot about them. I continued to provide a print-rich, literary environment for the boys but in a very gentle and natural way. We didn’t do reading lessons- I simply read aloud to them. I didn’t require them to read silently but they saw me read during our quiet time in the afternoon. They saw me read street signs and food labels and eventually ‘Master J’ started to see that reading for information and knowledge might be a handy thing!

One day, I saw him walk out of his room with one of those books. I asked him to be careful with it as I wanted to sell it or give it away. He looked a little taken aback at that so I went a little further. I nonchalantly commented that I didn’t think he’d be able to read those books…that they were a bit ‘above‘ his reading level. Well, they were the right words at the right time for, with all the heroics that a young boy can muster, he took that on! He went on to devour the whole series not twice, not three times but several times each book! He learned so much through those books, aside from learning to read. They are a great series that I thoroughly recommend. The author is Willard Price and he wrote ‘The Adventure Series‘.

During this time, I asked him if he wanted to keep the books for himself or if he’d like me to read one aloud. He nearly jumped out of his skin with excitement! I only read the one book aloud but he often shared little tid bits of information with me; information that blew me away and I often expressed my pride and admiration for him to see. This also spurred him on. While I read aloud, ‘Master C’ would grab a spare copy or cuddle next to me and he’d follow the words along as I read. (I believe that teaching reading is an art, not a science) Meanwhile ‘Master C’ was busy learning many road signs and reading labels on Weet-Bix packets and milk!

Reading the Natural Way

I liken reading and many other skills to toilet training! When ‘Miss A’ was little I felt pressure to have her toilet trained. So we worked on it. I tried everything from sitting her on the potty all day; waiting to catch her in the act and then offer praise. Everything from offering lollies, gentle encouragement all the way to not-so-gentle encouragement! It was so tiring and produced a lot of frustration (we won’t even mention the mess!). I eventually stopped trying and thought I’d wait until I saw signs of her being ready. (In hindsight, it was rather a DUH! moment) Well, what do you know…a few months later ‘Miss A’ (who was barely 2 at the time) just decided that she wanted to use the toilet like adults do!!! It wasn’t hard to *teach her* at all- it was all quite natural and stress-less. I just had to watch for signs of readiness, and then seize the moment when I saw them. Hmmm, I think there’s a lesson here that applies to much in parenting. It’s about observing the child and waiting for signs of readiness – waiting till they are developmentally ready. Reading and writing is also a developmental process.

Types of Reading

Over all the years, I have explained to the boys that there are different types of reading: reading for information, skim reading, reading for pleasure, etc. I guess if I had to summarise I would say that the following list contains the things we did:

Surround ourselves with fine literature and good vocabulary (Rich-print environment.)
We read aloud a lot
We buddy read (Parent reads a paragraph. Child reads a paragraph)
Listened to audio books.
I deliberately, but subtly pointed out labels and signs, directions, instructions, etc
We read lots of picture books. Many picture books are of a high literary quality and the artwork is often superb.
I removed all forms of pressure: I stopped expecting or requiring output, rather I focussed on giving input and allowed the literature to do its work.
I observed my children a lot. I watched and was ready to seize the moment.
I tried to play with words via the use of poetry and silly rhymes, tongue twisters, etc. One of my goals is to encourage a love of literary language.

Okay, so where are we now?

‘Master J’ loves to read and he reads very well. He reads a wide variety of books. He reads for pleasure and for information. After quite some time of learning to read (gaining fluency) and practising in a non threatening environment, he is a proficient reader with good comprehension and output (Understanding and narrations). One would never know that he didn’t read until he was 11 years old!

‘Master C’ can read and enjoys it but not as much as his older brother…yet. He can read well for information but he reads at a slightly lower level for pleasure. But that’s fine. He is developing fluency, and a love of words. He absolutely loved reading his developmentally appropriate Day by Day Kids Bible. That was the book that helped spark a sense of achievement and accomplishment in him. He loves listening to books being read aloud and is having fun with rhymes and tongue-twisters at the moment.

The Best Way

So, I have used both ways you asked about: teaching my girls to read via phonics and then taking more of a natural learning approach compared to starting with a natural learning approach and teaching the boys to read via real life.

We should put many learning opportunities before our children; put rich and noble ideas before them, encourage them to love reading and model that which we want them to emulate, then sit back and delight in the learning that will happen. This doesn’t guarantee that a child will read or love reading, but neither does drilling in phonics, dumbing down literature to nothing more than dull basal readers which contain no stimulating and capturing ideas.

Reading and the teaching of the skill is an art which needs our gentle and loving patience, guidance and nurturing. Teaching reading can build a relationship or cause frustration and embarrassment-tearing apart the relationship. What do I desire more? I don’t believe there is One Right Way to teach reading (much like parenting) although many disagree. Maybe Leonie would offer her thoughts…I’ll pop over to her blog and ask her if she’d be so kind as to share.

I don’t know if any of that has been helpful to you. Feel free to read, take any meat and spit out the bones.

All the best,

Browse books before purchasing

Harper Collins has generously made excerpts of many books available for viewing. At the site you can search the entire book for keywords and phrases and you can even go straight to each chapter!

HarperCollins has made the excerpts of this and over 500 other recently released books available here. Some of these titles might be of particular interest to homeschool families. With titles such as The Daring Book for Girls, The Dangerous Book for Boys, andAmelia Bedelia, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Katherine Paterson, and much more! How about The Writing Road to Reading ?

If you like the books you find, you can then buy the complete hardbound copy, (preferably from local suppliers) or you can purchase a downloadable E-book version.

Learn more here ! See the list of Australian suppliers here.

No Choice But To Accept That I Am An Unschooler

UNSCHOOLER at HEART

Boy I’ve changed a lot over the years. I’ve become truly comfortable in my own skin- education wise. Oh I’ve always thought I was fairly comfortable but inside I’ve always been striving: pushing myself to do more, to be more.

Take time to stop and smell the roses.

I’ve often thought that I need to take the time to stop smelling the roses and actually do something. And I have tried to. But after awhile it slows down and eventually comes to a grinding halt. We drift back to our lifestyle of learning…one that looks almost the opposite of a school based system.

As homeschoolers, we all agree (most likely) that there is no separation between learning and real life, right? However, that means different things to different people. To me, any activity can be learning. Yes, reading comics can even be educational, if one has an attitude to learn. Yet, even a textbook or good living book may not be ‘educational’ if one doesn’t have an attitude or hunger to learn.

I don’t really understand how some people think that unschooling is easy. I think unschooling is an attitude- a belief. I also don’t understand how some people say that can unschool for a short period of time but they return to a more systematic (school-at-home) approach as they “felt lazy“. Wow! I’ve always felt the opposite. Somehow, some people see unschooling as an easy way out- the slacker’s way. Wow!!!! I don’t see that at all. I think this could be the case if one doesn’t truly understand unschooling and still has fears or dreams or ideals. Unschooling isn’t something you ‘do’ for awhile to see how it works. That’s just a band-aid solution of an issue- it doesn’t address the root. I’ve always felt that I needed to do less, as a teacher, when we use curriculum or are more structured in implementing our lesson plans!! True!! When I need a break I pull out the workbooks or system and attack them in our own relaxed homeschooling way. I’ve had to do more as an unschooler. I’ve also had to learn to rely on God more as an unschooler. I’ve tended to learn more about my children as an unschooler. I’ve learned more about myself when I’ve accepted that I am, in fact, a radical unschooler– to quote Sandra Dodd.

Sandra Dodd, on her website, says this

Some want to give their kids uninterrupted learning opportunities and time to pursue their interests during “school hours” so that on a school day they’re free to do what they want as long as it seems somewhat justifiably schoolish. And they might accept that Lego or sandbox play is schoolish because there are math and engineering and physics and nature elements, and they want to document some of that. But they might not want the kids to just sit and look out the window, or to read magazines about movie stars, or to play a video game during that same time.

If you read that and thought, “Yeah, but looking out the window, playing a video game or reading ANY magazine is still learning,” then you’re probably a radical unschooler.

I have continued to grow, develop, change, learn, evolve as a woman, a parent, a person, a homeschooler. I’ve realised (and still trying to accept and embrace) that I’m actually a radical unschooler at heart who has some ideals or struggles that propel me toward being an eclectic, relaxed homeschooler. Okay, so I’m not as ‘radical’ as some mentioned on Dodd’s website because my core Christian beliefs come into play and affect my thinking and actions. However, with that in mind, understanding the true nature of unschooling compels me to admit that yes, I’m an unschooler. Tehee, most people I meet are more conservative learners who *try* to or dabble in unschooling. I feel like I’m an unschooler at heart who tries or dabbles in being eclectic and a relaxed homeschooler.

Hmmm, realisation, acceptance…now I need to fully embrace who I am and totally stop striving to be or do ‘more’. This shouldn’t be hard. We, as a family and as individuals seem to learn more when we just live, instead of trying to learn…but it’s my insecurities, my fears, my letting go, my lack of faith in both God and in trusting the children’s curiosity that stop me from fully embracing myself as a radical Christian unschooler.

Oh, in case you’ve wondered what brought me out of my hidey-hole to post, I was prompted by Leonie’s post.

*ETA: Sandra Dodd’s site is not Christian and this will be reflected in the articles. Just because I link to it doesn’t mean I agree with everything.

Homeschool Fear session with Robin Sampson

Robin Sampson – Homeschool Fear Session w/ Q&A to follow

EVERYONE is welcome to join in for this session in the HOTM online conference room! FREE! Everyone present will be entered to win a copy of Robin’s book, The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach (one e-book and one regular book to give away).

Date: Friday, August 8, 2008
Time: 10:30 EST
For Australian’s this will be late tonight or early hours of Saturday morning. Use the Time Zone converter to find the right time for you.

Below are instructions on how to log into the conference. You will need to log in from a Windows-based computer.

1. Click the link to the room: http://clients.audiovideoconference.net/conference.php?id=33090855
2. You’ll be prompted to download a small and very safe file.
3. Open the file and then log in. To log in simply enter your name. No password is required to listen to the talks.

If you want to read a little of what Robin may be sharing on, you can visit her blog and mull over these gems for awhile:

The worst part of religious thinking

Working harder is not the answer

Running out of gas

Daisy Petal Christianity

It has been a very hectic week here and I’m so tired but I would really love to stay awake and listen in. Will you be joining in?

More Parenting Myths

Some readers may remember my heartfelt posts I wrote last year. Dana, from Living Stones, has been known to visit this blog and I’m a regular reader of her encouraging blog. Recently she wrote a few posts that I really wanted to highlight. Her first was ‘Teenagers- Letting go so God can work‘ and the next one is ‘Teenagers-welcoming them home‘

Over the years I have battled The Myths – the myths of parenting, of homeschooling, of homemaking, of being a Proverbs 31 woman, etc. Many times I have been left feeling exposed or vulnerable from sharing my life as I do not strive to live up to expectations set by religion or man or even my perception of God’s expectations!

I hate the myths! They don’t serve us or compel us toward godliness. They stifle us, hurt us, heap condemnation upon us and do ugly things to our mind… yet so often we persist in perpetuating these myths. Why? Because of fear. We’re scared that other’s will see us as the not-so-perfect family or whatever. Ultimately, I think the motive is fear. But the opposite of fear is love, power and a sound mind. Oh many myths sound gucci; so much so that we desire them but they are not based on sound reason or even from love but from a desire to appear good. Oi voi! What a mess. We need to continually be lining our hearts up against God’s word and applying His truths to our whole lives- even our parenting lives and our homeschooling lives!

Anyway, I’ll leave you to visit Dana’s site and to seek God.

My new baby… project

I have been wanting to post for ages but I haven’t been able to grab the spare 1/2hr to do so. Hmm, there used to be a time when it wouldn’t take me 30 min to post but my mind has been elsewhere. Where? I hear you ask! Oooh, I’m so glad you asked! Now I get the chance to show of my new baby – oops, my new project, er obsession.

Yes, it is finally ready for use! It is a dream I have had for many years and the former site was a mere shadow of what I have always dreamt of and planned for, but now it is finally here! Of course, it wouldn’t be possible without the tireless efforts of my dear husband, for without his many, long hours it would not be possible. Thank you John!

Aussie Homeschool is a free online community for all Australian homeschool (current, past, enquiring or potential) parents. The purpose and vision of Aussie Homeschool is to connect Australian homeschoolers from every town and state! There is opportunity to buy and sell resources, to give and receive encouragement, to share, to laugh, and to learn with other like-minded people. We’re sure you’ll love our online community. Try it…this online community is what you make it. Our purpose is to provide you with an informative, insightful, stimulating and encouraging platform for all your interests and needs.Together, we can make this community an enriching and helpful Australian network.

So this is an official welcome to any/all Australian home educators to pop over, register and join in. There are discussion forums, classifieds (to buy, sell, rent or give away), file sharing, networking, articles, news and more to be involved with. See ya there!

Free Devotional Journal download

Our Devotional Journal that we used with the girls. I designed this as a simple way that the girls could do their own Bible reading and were prompted to follow the steps in our Kerugma Bible study approach, using the 4 step process with the anagram of IDEA. (Introduce, Digging Deeper, Examine & elaborate, Application to my life)

I show the children how I use this approach in my own day and how it need not take hours each time. It can take 15 min or one and half hours. We need not study one new passage each day…a passage may spread over two days or more! The focus needs to be on process, not outcome. We need to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and not be directed by the clock, or the day.

Here is what the various fields mean:

Date: Helpful to record the date
Passage: Record the passage being studied
Key Verse: to be filled in at the end of the study
Pray: asking God to reveal His truths

Introduce
Read the passage– out loud or silently
Reread the passage, possibly in another translation

Digging Deeper
Dictionary words: Use the vocabulary sheets for words not known
Other resources used: Record other books used for reference. eg: Journey Through the Bible, etc.
5W’s and H: Understand as many of these that apply.

Expand and Elaborate
Paraphrase ..write the passage out in your own words or narrate the passage orally

Application
How does this apply to my life?
Is there a promise to believe?
A truth to be believed?
A duty/an action to perform?
Is there a command to obey?
A prayer to echo?
Is there a positive example in this passage that I can follow?
Is there an action in this passage that I need to avoid?
Is there an attitude in this passage that I need to have?
Is there something I need to be thankful for?
Pray: asking God for help to apply truths learned … To give thanks.

Bible Based education, Our family goals, Getting Started.

Teaching Approach,

IDEA: 4 step lesson format

Our [download#10] for you to print out and use

Other downloads

Natural Consequences Teach Valuable Life Skills

As I posted a few entries ago, I’ve been spending time with friends and extended family and I’ve witnessed some things which really make me think…deeply. I have gone home and spoken with my husband about them. Why do I worry so much about it? Its not so much that I worry, but as my children are getting older I want to teach them about parenting. Sure they’ll learn parenting from being parented but I also want to be more direct in my approach to teaching about it. S I talk to my children about why I parent the way I do.

Some families live so nice and tidy. I know families like this. The homes are spotless with rarely a thing out of place. Wow, my home has never been like that. Sure, everything needs to be clean but things are always out of place in my home. It just can’t be helped with four children and myself living at home, all day every day. I’d go crazy trying to keep it neat and spotless all the time. But I know some families like this. The sad thing is that while the children have every toy imaginable, they aren’t allowed outside to have any free play. Come on, who are we kidding? No matter how bright and colourful the toys are these days, they don’t beat a children learning to make his own toy from materials found in the backyard. There’s just something inventive, and creative and empowering about that…a plastic blue toy with all the bells and whistles can never do that.

My children are rarely sick. They have pretty strong immune systems. They (and I) credit that to all the dirt and worms they ate when they were small. Once I found my 2yodaughter asleep under the house, curled up in a laundry basket! Another time she tasted cat food! But my children played outside a lot… many hours of the day, in the dirt, climbing trees, running, jumping, crawling, rolling and pretending to be whatever games sprang from their imagination. Coming into contact with dirt and worms made their immune system stronger, so we believe. The mothers of the families I referenced above use antiseptic spray all over the house, several times a day, yet their children still get sick. Maybe children are meant to get a few colds and runny noses as youngsters. Maybe it strengthens their systems?

I’m all for protecting our children…(duh, it would be ludicrous to state that I believe otherwise) but I wonder if many parents are taking it way too far? Are we raising the next generation to be soft and namby pamby? These days it is not politically correct to say NO to a child or to tell them anything less than how good they are. Wow, a far cry from what the gospel tells us about man eh?

What doesn’t kill us can make us stronger!

My children were reminiscing the other night about how unsympathetic I can seem. When they were little and they’d fall over and graze their knee, I would barely take a glance and they wouldn’t get a lot of TLC from me. Sounds harsh? Actually, after reading many lovely homeschool/mothering books (which I do like) I often felt very un-maternal. Yet I love my children dearly. They know that. They also know who to go to when they are REALLY hurt- they come to me. I have often said to them that age old adage, “What doesn’t kill us can make us stronger” (My paraphrase) I have witnessed a 2 year old boy, falling over and then run crying to his mother, who will pick him up and make a fuss as though he has knocked a tooth out! Oi voi! What are we doing? I want my children to grow to be strong, capable, competent, independent adults who can live in a fallen world, who have the courage to stand against the flow, regardless of any hurt they experience. I want them to stand up for truth and righteousness! How can I manage to instill this if they don’t experience a little bit of pain (supervised and controlled) in their younger years? I want so much to protect them, to shield them from the harsh reality of life but I can’t do that or be that forever. One day they will venture out on their own. I must remind myself that I am parenting from this perspective as it’s so easy to get up in only the ‘here and now’.

If I want my child to learn responsibility I can teach it from a curriculum. But really what will make more meaningful sense to him is to see that my ACTIONS back up my words. (Actions speak louder than words). Direct teaching needs to go hand in hand with seeing the parent model real life responsibility. Then we need to give an opportunity to the child- an opportunity to take a responsibility. You know what I’ve found? That they will most likely fail! But the great news is that I then get to guide them, to correct them in gentleness! This is when my children have learned the best lessons in responsibility – through failure! I think children need to learn how to accept failure. I tell my children that a failure is only a failure or a mistake only a mistake IF they don’t learn from it. However, they do need to learn the attitude of picking themselves back up and putting one foot in front of the other- to not get down because of that failure. They need to see living reality in my life too. Better that they learn about failure now, while they are still young and I can supervise, guide and control the situation rather than be slap-bang confronted with it as an adult when it is too late to be corrected by ones parents.

Hand in hand with giving them responsibility is teaching them about consequence– and how we can often choose the outcome. Sure children don’t often set out to choose a negative consequence but as a result of their action that is what comes. This empowers them and gives them responsibility – a far cry from the modern epidemic of people blaming everyone else for their actions and circumstances. We’re trying to teach out children to look further ahead than just the action- look ahead to the consequence. Too often today I see parents who don’t teach their children natural consequences. The child doesn’t pick up their dirty clothes and put them into the laundry but why should he? Mother will do it for him. It has been difficult at times, as parents, for we have allowed our children to experience the natural consequence of their actions. If they have not put their dirty dishes in the sink then they were presented with dirty crockery at meal time, which they promptly ran to the sink and scrubbed. But it’s a lesson learned. My children have all had a favourite item of clothing. At times this item hasn’t been available for them to wear when we were going out because they hadn’t picked it up from the floor. Rather than rush off to wash it I said, “Oh well, that’s too bad. Come on, I’ll help you find something else to wear” Not quite the reaction they wanted but it was a lesson learned. I never do for my child that which they are able to do for themselves. The key here is, I believe, to be consistent.

Of course I want to protect my children…to keep them safe but I have to think long term, not short term. Will my actions today be helping them achieve the goals that, as parents who have sought God for direction, have been set before them. These goals are based on Biblical principles and not our hopes and dreams kinda thing. Parenting isn’t about us, per se, it’s about the children.

Ah, there is so much we need to teach our children. But the great part is that developing a relationship with them and teaching them from the best curriculum called Real Life (experience) is what will see them most ready for the adult world.

Oops, once again this post turned into something the size of a small book. Coffee and Tim Tams to any who made it all the way through.

Oh, for some reason the smilies aren’t showing up. There are meant to be a few smilies scattered through this post…to add context. Sorry they’re not there. I don’t have time to muck around and find out where they are.

Any thoughts?

Family Bible Study Guide: first 5 lessons

Yay, I have finally uploaded the first 5 studies, in pdf format, of our Kerugma Family Bible study. Admittedly we completed these lessons over a year ago but nevertheless, as promised, they are now uploaded.
To use the lessons, simply download them at the Download Page…along with the Activity Sheets…the Obvservation Sheet and the IDEA Bookmarks. Don’t forget to read the preamble about how the format of our lessons and all other related bits n pieces.

The first lesson is setting up our Bible Notebook and then there are four lessons after that. Feel free to use the ideas with your family. All I ask is that if you do, please leave some feedback by leaving a comment here or on my site.

Teaching Our Children To Not Be Selfish

Children are a blessing…but in this day and age of the *me culture* our children need to learn that they are not the centre of the universe. Society, the world, tells that we are worth it, we are all that matters, we are special. In fact, some of this is true but only in the light of God’s word, not the self centred way that society is preaching it. I see so many young people growing up, believing that in some way, the world owes them something…that they have a ‘right’ just because they were born!

When I first started the home-schooling journey I wanted to provide the absolute best for my children. I wanted them to be smarter than me, richer than me, etc. I thought that home-based-learning could and would achieve all this. I’ll go back a little and explain: In many respects, I wasted my youth – I didn’t apply myself to study or instilling good habits. Actually, I tended to be very bored at school. I couldn’t see the relevance of the knowledge being presented to me…but that’s another story. I got dead-end jobs before entering Nurses Training School and this was where my education began – true education and knowledge. Suffice to say that I wanted so much more for my children. However, I’ve come to see that there was a lot wrong with line of thought. It is reactive, not proactive…despite what I may have thought. I came to see that this line of reasoning actually revolves around me! It doesn’t centre on God’s word at all. Oh, it might have sounded all noble but really, the root of it was pride.

A student doesn’t get a better desk than her teacher. A laborer doesn’t make more money than his boss.
The Message

Allow me to digress a little in order to come back to my point…

A few years ago, I used to have a treat that was just *mine*. Okay okay I’ll divulge my little secret. Tim Tams! Hmmmmm, I love them! My children knew that these were no ordinary bikkies- they were ‘Mum’s’ biscuits. Not to be touched by children! I received a few comments from friends along the lines of, “Do you think you are displaying selfishness to your children?” or “But there’s nothing wrong with kids having treats” and other such comments. If that were my attitude in all things, if it were something I did without grace then I’d have to agree! It would be selfish. But I don’t believe it is a bad thing to have our children learn that they don’t automatically receive everything…that some things are reserved for adults or parents. Of course, as with all of life, grace must be lived and shown though.

There’s a fine line between teaching children that they have to work hard yet also recognise that despite all their efforts, it is God who will set them in their place! Desiring good things for my children, I’ve learned that I must model and teach them contentment, the sovereignty of God and respect more solidly than academic knowledge.

How about you? Has God shown you anything about the state of your own heart, throughout this journey of home-based-learning?

A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.
Matthew 10:24b NIV

Home Where the Children are the Boss

I like to watch people.

Yup, I even like going to the mall and just observing people, families, singles, children, elderly, anyone. I find it very interesting. I guess I really like people and I like learning how people think and believe and how they behave. These times of observation invariably lead me to times of intense thinking. Tehee, this used to be a bad thing as my head would get into a spin and I’d drive myself nuts. Maybe it’s part of getting older or maybe it’s the effect of the Holy Spirit in my life but I find I’m more able to speak less and be more patient in processing my thoughts before trying to verbalise them.

Anyway, all this to say that I have been observing families and friends lately…some Christian and others aren’t. Some are homeschoolers and others are schoolies. But I have noticed some common trains of thought amongst them…beliefs,actions, that I have learned (and still learning) to deal with and seek a Biblical approach to.

I have a friend. This woman works very hard outside the home, in order to earn money to pay for a private Christian education for her children. She also works very hard within the home to provide a positive and loving home life for the family. Everything she does is for her children. She unpacks their school bag (and I’m talking about a Yr 10 student here!!!) and packs it again with the next days school books. She makes him lunch, washes his clothes, brings him warm milk to tuck him in at bed. She sacrifices a lot in order to provide, what she sees as best, for her child. However, she doesn’t monitor his telephone usage and he has a private line in his room at which he can talk for hours at a time. The teen child seems to rule the roost, not in word but in action.

I have another friend (Wow, 2 ‘IRL’ friends…who woulda thunk it?) who is naturally rather shy. She also enjoys being at home with her younger children. No problems there right? Except that her 2 year old son totally rules the home. This is largely due to the husband’s insistence as he works odd hours and likes his son to be available when he is. This seems to have led to the child not having any routine or any discipline or any guidelines whatsoever. This dear mother cannot even go shopping with him! She must have a sitter for him so she can get groceries as he is such a handful. Oh, they laugh about it and call him ‘cute’ and gave him little pet names but I shudder when I think of what he may become when he is 12 and 22 and not just a 2year old. This young mother desires the very best for her son…she only wants ot please him and to provide the best for him. Much like the mother I mentioned above.

I wonder how our children learn that the world is a much bigger place than their own limited personal experience. I want my children to know that they are fortunate and blessed…I want them to know that the world does not revolve around them! I want them to have a servant’s heart…to serve others…to be always looking outwards rather than inwards. I don’t want them to grow up with the attitude that this world owes them in some way! I wonder how a child can honestly believe that though if they have totally been the centre of their parent’s world…if everything the parent does revolves around the child then what is the message the child is hearing?

I wonder if homeschoolers can be at particular risk of raising selfish children? I don’t have any ‘cut n dried’ thoughts, it’s just something I have pondered. I mean, we mothers stay at home training and educating children rather than pursuing our own career…do we need to tell our children that while we love them to bits, our whole world does not revolve around them? How much of my life have I put on hold…til after the children have grown and left home? Do I have any interests or hobbies or passions that I pursue? What do my children know about me…not just my thoughts on the Bible or child rearing but do they know my likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams? Do my children know that the gospel of Christ is much more important than homeschooling?

Have you noticed a trend toward the idolatry of children? How do you guard against it?

A Day In The Life of Our Unschooling Teen

Leonie posted a day in the life of her unschooled teen. I enjoyed reading it so thought I’d ask ‘Eldest Daughter’s’ permission to write her day. Some days are similar to this and other days are completely different to this. Now she is working again, (she had to leave her other job to relocate to SA) our rhythm is changing again. It’s been fantastic to have her home with me full time and we did make the most of it knowing that she’d go back to work soon.

She awoke at 7am and did some stretching and then when straight into her morning workout. Today was resistance training using free weights. Then she made herself an omelette for breakfast. She did a quick check of her online forums and email. And yes, she can actually do a brief check, unlike me! Then, she went off to clean her room and get ready for work. She then came out and did some research reading on the subject of coffee and beans and then wrote on her blog about it. This of course, led to her experimenting with our machine to get the ‘perfect crema’ from the espresso. While she was there she made the rest of us cappuccino’s and hot chocolate for the boys while we sat and talked about…coffee! We were talking about making our own blends and what particular roasts are good to blend.

Then it was time to go to work. She starts at 12pm but we needed to zip over to the coffee shop and buy some freshly roasted beans…I dropped her off at work a few minutes early so we had 15 minutes to sit for and talk. This was a short chat but we girls can get straight to the heart of the matter, discussing emotionally deep and personal issues. I love these chats and she loves to hear my thoughts on things and she mostly wants to hear what the Bible has to say on the many things that go through her mind. Today she has a 4 hour shift so she’ll finish at 4pm. While on the way back home I got a call from the school. ‘Younger daughter’ isn’t well and I stop off at the school to pick the poor poppit up and bring her home.

Meanwhile, the boys had tended to their morning chores and did some reading and while I was zipping ‘Eldest Daughter’ to work they found the family tent and set it up. This is a large tent and it took them awhile but they want to ‘camp out’ tonight. 🙂 So Younger Daughter and I arrived home – we all regroup and then have lunch. (1pm)

(4.30pm) John (dh) picked ‘Eldest Daughter’up while on his way home from work and they arrive home by 5pm, by which time I have the cappuccino machine ready to pour all the coffee’s and we sit together and discuss everyone’s day. ‘Eldest Daughter’ does another quick check of her email & Internet (and is totally excited as she receives an email from a good friend who wants to come and stay for a few days- a friend from Brisbane. She responds excitedly) Then she helps with setting the table and meal preparation, all the while involved in family discussion. Our tea times are always loud and rowdy with most of us giving our opinion on anything and everything. I was fairly organised so there wasn’t an awful mess to clean up after tea. All the children contribute toward cleaning up. This is great but it’s awfully noisy!

After tea, ‘Eldest Daughter’ popped on the treadmill and did a 30min cardio workout. She listened to some praise music while running and then comes out to tell me some thoughts she’s been having about a scripture. Then she sat with me and we watched some TV while surfing the ‘net on her laptop. She’s heavily researching and learning about coffee and barista work as this is an area she wants to go further in. She is tinkering with the idea of one day opening up her own coffee shop. She talks to me incessantly about her dreams, ideas and passions. We laugh together at the sometimes corniness of it all…but it’s what we do. It’s what makes us have such a close relationship. We live together, laugh together, dream together and sometimes, cry together.

She headed off to bed with a good book (she’s on book 5 in the Gods and Kings series). Problem is; she often stays awake until the early hours reading these good books! But these books have been such a source of inspiration and knowledge…we speak about it frequently and share our learning from these books.

‘Eldest Daughter’ is mostly self managed but she likes me to be involved. I don’t mind because I know that she is an independent learner and capable person but she simply *likes* to have me around. Today she didn’t do any fitness reading and writing but on another day she will. She also didn’t do any of the Business Maths that she has on the go but she will at another time. Another day she will do Bible study and/or cook a family meal or go and do the shopping or help me with the housework or do some work with the boys. Each day is different but is packed with learning activities. Her days simply don’t look like a structured schooly system…but I know she is learning and she knows it too. It works well for her and for us as a family. The day doesn’t sound that interesting or exciting and truth is, it probably isn’t. It’s the relationships within the day that make it all worthwhile…the manner in which she lives her day- full of purpose, knowing that she is operating in and developing her passions and God given talents, while strengthening her weaknesses. I’ve found that over the course of the semester or the year she delves into most, if not all, subject areas. She has grown as a person, as a daughter of the King. And in the end, we’re all thankful for the ability and opportunity to be home-based-learners.

What about you? Care to share a day in the life of your teen? (With their permission, of course)

‘Eldest Daughter’ is 17
‘Younger daughter’ is 15 and a half
Boys are 13 and 10

Missing in Action

Yes, I truly have been Missing In Action. In other words, I’ve been living a full, rich life and had plenty to write about but little time to actually write!

My Dad came to visit me and stayed with us for a few weeks. I haven’t seen him for nearly two years and I missed him terribly. It was so wonderful to connect (IRL) with him again. He drove back to Broken Hill and then he popped in for breakfast one morning!!!! What a fantastic surprise. He was helping a friend move house and had an overnight stop over in Adelaide so he popped in for pancakes with lemon and sugar for breakfast (Courtesy of ‘Miss A’ , who makes the fluffiest, yummiest pancakes). I have really missed these sort of informal drop-ins by family while we’ve been interstate.

John took me out for an evening a few weeks ago. We went to see the Paul Potts live in concert. I have been a fan of Paul Potts since I first saw on youtube. The concert was even better than the CD so if you get a chance to see him live, it’s a better experience. The man may not be a Christian but I see a humility and attitude of gratitude in him and his wife.

‘Miss R’ has settled well into school. She did a week of work experience at a hair dressing salon, which she enjoyed very much. Other young girls went to fashionable, funky salon’s but as we had just moved ‘Miss R’ couldn’t be choosy and had to take what she could get. Well it all turned out for the best as a dear lady took her in and as they were short of workers ‘Miss R’ had lots or opportunity to experience things that the other kids her age didn’t.

‘Miss A’ was applying for jobs all over the place. She got herself at job at a cafe a few miles away. She had a two week trial period as a barista and while she would have stayed there, it wasn’t what she really wanted. She just kept putting it before the Lord. Well, on the very last day of her trial period, a new coffee shop opened up at the village mall only 3kms away from us!!!! She applied and they employed her- all within a matter of hours! She is now employed as a barista in a speciality coffee shop (No, not GJ’s…much better ). The have given her a fair bit of room to be creative with her latte art and have paid for a further training course where she went to be trained by professionals and learned more about coffee cherries, beans and roasting. The employers are fully supportive of her softball, which is all the more amazing. Praise the Lord! I can see more and more how much our home-based-learning lifestyle has enabled ‘Miss A’ to pursue her passions and subsequently excel at them. She has learned so much about life through a home-based education.

The boys have been engaging in heaps of real-life learning. They’ve been pottering on with their ACE paces although John was bored with his SOSE paces and considering that he reads so much historical fiction, I have allowed him to read good, living books instead. We are currently learning about Ancient Rome so he is reading through If you’re not familiar with the book, you might like to check out this homeschool review. He is also reading many other books set around this period. We have started a read aloud which is my second time. I read it aloud to the girls so it must be good for me to do it again. The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare is a great read for boys or girls.

John has been tending to his lessons but he’d rather do anything physical than sit down to bookwork. He will mow lawns, clean the car, exercise, do dishes, you-name-it, he’ll-do-it rather than write with a pen! However, he’s continuing to practice composition and writing. Shhhh, don’t tell him that it is a part of formal lessons. He is teaching himself a whole new language as well – PERL. No, he hasn’t taken up knitting. It is a computer language. While I learn HTML, CSS and PHP, he likes to try his hand is designing games. So he borrowed a book from the library and has been intensely teaching himself this new language. He is practising all the necessary learning skills – reading, writing, taking notes, narrating, processing information, while practising keyboard skills. But the best thing is that this is all independent learning! He is totally self directed in this project.

Last week I had to attend a meeting in the city so we all piled into the car and dropped ‘Miss A’ at work and ‘Miss R’ at school and then the boys and I popped into a fresh roasted coffee bean store before heading off to spend a few hours at both the Adelaide Art Gallery and the Museum before heading to Koorong Christian bookstore. While there, I picked up our reserved copy of the DVD, Hadassah: One Night with the King. ‘Miss A’ and I read the book over a year ago and have been waiting impatiently for the DVD to arrive in Australia. If you’ve been studying the book of Esther, you’ll like this movie tie-in. If you’ve read the book by Tommy Tenny, you might be a little disappointed in the movie- I don’t know. Drop me a line and let me know what you thought of it.

Another book that I bought and have started is called The Story by Murray Watts. It looks very good. It’s similar to The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel by Walter Wangerin which the girls and I enjoyed but it seems a little shorter and a tad simpler in literary style.

We have been doing a basic study on the nature of God, which I will upload to my website, one day…after I’ve uploaded the outline of my talk at the SA HSing seminar.

John (DH) had to go to Sydney for an ill family member who was hospitalised so we had an emotionally draining fortnight throughout all that. The family member has recovered but is in need of further medical treatment so your prayers would be most appreciated. God knows the need.

I’ve been having dreadful migraine headaches, which is not a usual occurrence for me. maybe it’s too much coffee…maybe it’s other lifestyle issues, I don’t know. But they have been constant and quite debilitating. I will be adjusting my lifestyle next week and going off coffee and drinking more water, so I hope that will help. Meantime, I’ve been working steadily on my new project – yes, an interactive website for the Australian homeschool community. I’ll write more about that soon.

Life has been so busy, rich and full. Like an online friend, Marbel said,

Whenever I find myself blogging, or thinking of blogging, frequently, I find… the rest of my life diminishing. When I blog about reading, I’m not reading. When I blog about homeschooling, I’m not homeschooling.

Total Invasion of Priivacy

Sad, horrid, gross invasion of privacy and so much more…go and read the full article at the Brisbane Courier Mail

A PHOTO of every state school student will be posted online by the Government, sparking fears pedophiles could use the database.

The intranet database, dubbed OneSchool, will profile each of the state’s 480,000 public school students enrolled from Prep to Year 12.

Photographs, personal details, career aspirations, off-campus activities and student performance records are being collected from all 1251 state schools.

Education Queensland said details of 180,000 students from 637 schools already were online and the database would be completed by December.

About 80,000 students are expected to be added to the internal education department database each year.

Our unschooling teen: day in the life of…

Leonie posted a day in the life of her unschooled teen. I enjoyed reading it so thought I’d ask ‘Miss A’ ‘s permission to write her day. Some days are similar to this and other days are completely different to this. Now she is working again, (she had to leave her other job to relocate to SA) our rhythm is changing again. It’s been fantastic to have her home with me full time and we did make the most of it knowing that she’d go back to work soon.

Then it was time to go to work. She starts at 12pm but we needed to zip over to the coffee shop and buy some freshly roasted beans…I dropped her off at work a few minutes early so we had 15 minutes to sit for and talk. This was a short chat but we girls can get straight to the heart of the matter, discussing emotionally deep and personal issues. I love these chats and she loves to hear my thoughts on things and she mostly wants to hear what the Bible has to say on the many things that go through her mind. Today she has a 4 hour shift so she’ll finish at 4pm. While on the way back home I got a call from the school. ‘Miss R’ isn’t well and I stop off at the school to pick the poor poppit up and bring her home.

Meanwhile, the boys had tended to their morning chores and did some reading and while I was zipping ‘Miss A’ to work they found the family tent and set it up. This is a large tent and it took them awhile but they want to ‘camp out’ tonight. 🙂 So ‘Miss R’ I arrived home – we all regroup and then have lunch. (1pm)

(4.30pm) John (dh) picked ‘Miss A’ up while on his way home from work and they arrive home by 5pm, by which time I have the cappuccino machine ready to pour all the coffee’s and we sit together and discuss everyone’s day.’Miss A’ does another quick check of her email & Internet (and is totally excited as she receives an email from a good friend who wants to come and stay for a few days- a friend from Brisbane. She responds excitedly) Then she helps with setting the table and meal preparation, all the while involved in family discussion. Our tea times are always loud and rowdy with most of us giving our opinion on anything and everything. I was fairly organised so there wasn’t an awful mess to clean up after tea. All the children contribute toward cleaning up. This is great but it’s awfully noisy!

After tea, ‘Miss A’ popped on the treadmill and did a 30min cardio workout. She listened to some praise music while running and then comes out to tell me some thoughts she’s been having about a scripture. Then she sat with me and we watched some TV while surfing the ‘net on her laptop. She’s heavily researching and learning about coffee and barista work as this is an area she wants to go further in. She is tinkering with the idea of one day opening up her own coffee shop. She talks to me incessantly about her dreams, ideas and passions. We laugh together at the sometimes corniness of it all…but it’s what we do. It’s what makes us have such a close relationship. We live together, laugh together, dream together and sometimes, cry together.

‘Miss A’ is mostly self managed but she likes me to be involved. I don’t mind because I know that she is an independent learner and capable person but she simply *likes* to have me around. Today she didn’t do any fitness reading and writing but on another day she will. She also didn’t do any of the Business Maths that she has on the go but she will at another time. Another day she will do Bible study and/or cook a family meal or go and do the shopping or help me with the housework or do some work with the boys. Each day is different but is packed with learning activities. Her days simply don’t look like a structured schooly system…but I know she is learning and she knows it too. It works well for her and for us as a family. The day doesn’t sound that interesting or exciting and truth is, it probably isn’t. It’s the relationships within the day that make it all worthwhile…the manner in which she lives her day- full of purpose, knowing that she is operating in and developing her passions and God given talents, while strengthening her weaknesses. I’ve found that over the course of the semester or the year she delves into most, if not all, subject areas. She has grown as a person, as a daughter of the King. And in the end, we’re all thankful for the ability and opportunity to be home-based-learners.

What about you? Care to share a day in the life of your teen? (With their permission, of course)

General update

Family. Oh I praise the Lord for family.

My father has been with us for two weeks. After not seeing him for nearly 2 years, I am enjoying his company immensely. I’ve learned so much about myself, my family and my dad over the last few weeks.

What else has kept me from blogging? I presented a workshop on Discipleship based / Identity Directed Education at the South Australian Exploring Approaches to education Seminar which celebrated National Home Education week. I’ve been meaning to upload the workshop notes to the blog and I will…just haven’t gotten much time here of late.

‘Miss A’ has a new job, at a Cafe. She has an intense passion for coffee- real, true coffee. Yes, most of us just drink it but she lives it, breathes it, reads it and writes it! Not only does she make good coffee but she now wants to do her own roasting of green beans. What next?

‘Master C’ has been getting into photography again. I’ve found that all of our children have enjoyed playing with a camera, but some of ‘Master C’ ‘s photo’s are simply outstanding. He’s going to team with ‘Miss A’ soon and take photo’s of her latte art.

I have only just this weekend gotten around to arranging most of the books into their proper book cases. There are still a few boxes to go but I’m getting there.

That’s about it for now…I’ll upload the notes later.

Mother's Day: Part Two

How was your Mother’s Day?

I woke to yummy smell of pancakes and maple syrup with cappuccino. The children got up early and made breakfast in bed for me. It was lovely. It’s great to see the children working together on a common goal- that of blessing someone else.

I spent a large part of the day in the kitchen. This was my choice. I cooked up an Indian style feast for tea that night. I did this to bless my family. Before the meal I spoke a few words of thanks and appreciation to my husband and children…I affirmed them, made eye contact and spoke of my love for them. I explained that without them Mother’s day wouldn’t be, for me. I don’t write this to boast, rather to offer another side of me and my family. I had previously written about Mother’s day and that post is true…but as can happen with this medium, it is only one side of the story. I want to offer the same story but from another side or angle.

When John and I first got married, we wanted to start a family as soon as possible. But it didn’t happen. Each month would see me sad and teary. I desperately wanted to have a child and be a mother. It was 2 years before we conceived. Those two Mother’s Days were very sad for me. Oh, I would honour my own mother and my mother-in-law but it was also a painfully emotional time for me. Even now I remember the pain and the hurt that I felt. That pain doesn’t affect me now…I do not feel the sting of it but I do remember how it felt. And that in turn causes me to be so very appreciative and thankful for the four blessings that I do have. And I’m also reminded of the daunting task before me…that of parenting. Thankfully, God has the paths of my children firmly in His grasp. While I have a task, a duty, a responsibility, a privilege, God already knows their path and He is responsible for their salvation, not me.

How did you spend your Mother’s day? Have you learned any lessons from your own mum or mother-figure in your life? What did you ‘teach’ your children on this day? I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Mother's Day

May you have a blessed Mother’s Day today!

I thought I’d repost something that I wrote last year regarding Mother’s day. I originally posted it just before Mother’s Day but the principle is the same.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. What are you planning?

My mother isn’t on this earth any more. She graduated and went to be with the Lord nearly 10 years ago. While she was here with us, my children had opportunity to see for themselves how I still honoured her as my mother. Now she isn’t here, I look for similar opportunities to teach my children how to serve and bless others.

Mother’s Day can be a day filled with self indulgent motives and consumerism which often teaches our children that money and gifts can buy happiness. I don’t want to impart this to my children. However, this day can also send other messages…ones which may not be entirely what we want our children to receive.

Some people have been surprised to learn that I encourage my children to bless me on Mother’s Day (and Dad on Father’s Day). While they are still young, I am teaching them how to bless others… impart to them a desire to serve. While I can live quite happily without being spoiled on Mother’s Day, it is for the children that I do this. That sounds rather pious, but it truly is my heart’s motive.

As a mother who chose to stay at home and teach her children, I am aware that this was my choice to live this lifestyle. I dearly want my children to have similar values. But if they see my life as not appealing…then how or why would I expect that they would desire it? If they see me moping around the house often, complaining and not living in joy, then why on earth would they choose a similar life? If all they see is mother being a martyr then they may ‘hear’ that the home-schooling lifestyle or even the lifestyle of motherhood is not one they want. Oi voi! I hope not!

I’m learning more and more lately how important it is to teach our children the value of family through our own life experience. The children don’t always see me as ‘a child’. Naturally, they think that I’m an adult, grown up. And I am. But I’m also a child and will be as long as my father is alive. But even more so, I will always be a child as my heavenly Father is eternal. We need to teach our children what it means to know God as father…and part of this means being a child, being parented by God.

My older girls have a heart to bless others and they bless me without any prompting. However, my boys are still a little younger (9 and 11yo) and they still need some guidance and prompting in this area. It is also good for them to learn these lessons as I believe it will help them to love and honour their own wives, when they have them. The day will come when I will no longer encourage or prompt them to think of me on Mother’s Day…it will be totally up to them. I hope I will handle that time with love and grace.

I’d like to encourage you to think about Mother’s Day. What messages do you send your child regarding motherhood? Think about what legacy you’d like to leave your children…what lessons can you teach through this day? Your children will not always be young, and the time for teaching these sorts of lessons will not always be so ripe. Make the most of it! Pray and discover how you can creatively impart life values to your child and teach them the important lessons in life. Drop me a line and let me know how you plan to spend Mother’s Day.

For the Children’s Sake…

Italian Pizza Soup

Italian Pizza Soup

This delicious soup is quick and easy to fix. Just add crusty bread for a hearty meal!

5 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 medium onions, chopped
2 1/2 green peppers, chopped
2 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
5 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/4 cups uncooked rice
2 1/2 cups diced or crushed tomatoes
10 cups chicken broth
2 1/2-5 ounces thinly sliced pepperoni
1 1/4 cups shredded provolone cheese or mozzarella cheese
1 1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.
Saute the onion and green pepper until softened.
Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute.
Add the oregano, basil, rice, tomatoes and broth, and bring to a boil.
Turn down heat and place cover on saucepan.
Simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Stir in the pepperoni, and sprinkle with the cheese.
Continue cooking for another minute or two.
Serve, and add an extra sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, if desired.

If I don’t have pepperoni, I just add whatever I have – bacon, chicken or whatever. I ALWAYS add olives…it makes it!

This can either be done on the stove top or in the crockpot. I’ve done both.

Savoury Pumpkin Pie

Okay Jacqui,

Here’s my easy peasy recipe for Pumkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

1 kg pumpkin, peeled,
1 cup rice (brown gives a crunch and nutty flavour but white is fine too)
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 ¼ cup cheese
salt & pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs.

Method

Boil pumpkin and mash, adding a dob of butter.

Boil rice. Add rice, egg, 1 cup cheese, milk and seasonings to pumpkin. Smooth into dish.
Top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.
Bake 25-30 min in 180C degree oven (350F).
Serve with crusty bread and a tossed green salad.

Serves approximately 4.

I vary this depending upon what is in the fridge. If we have left over Fried Rice, I add that or corn, mushroom, etc
I also play around with herbs/spices like nutmeg, caraway seeds and lots more pepper.
Sometimes, I add parmesan cheese to the mix and maybe even crushed cornflakes instead of breadcrumbs.

If we have a vegetable soup, like a broccoli or cauliflower soup, made with home made stock, this will do us for a main meal…along with fruit or a piece of bread n jam afterwards. 😉

Seasonal Cooking

After having several yummy and nutritious meals lately, we’re going fairly light tonight and eating some of the left-overs. However, I’ll make a Spinach and Potato Soup with a fresh tossed salad. This soup is so easy and delicious. I simply sauté an onion and some garlic in a mixture of olive oil and coconut oil. I add half a potato per person along with a packet of frozen spinach. I sometimes prefer frozen veggies, if I can’t or won’t buy organic. I think they have as much, if not more, nutrients in them than the ‘fresh vegetables‘ from the grocer that may have travelled many miles before getting to my table.

If I don’t have any home made stock, I add about 1 and a half cups of water per person, along with a stock cube, pepper and parsley. I’ll simmer this for about 30 min. Then I use my hand held wand (blender) to puree it. It can be served with croutons (‘Miss A’ makes the best ones) but if we’re watching our carb intake I tend to omit them but I’ll serve a tsp of good quality parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. While it isn’t fashionable any more to have salt on the table, we do. I use an organic, unprocessed Celtic Sea Salt, which we may crush in the mortar along with some fresh herbs. This allows us to make up our seasonings on the spot. The children love doing this as they can ‘make their own’. 😎

I’ve been looking at trying to eat more ‘seasonally‘. To do this, I have to look at prices of fresh produce, not just at what is available on the shelves. These days, most veg is easily available but it doesn’t mean it’s fresh. 😡

Persimmons are high in glucose and contain good amounts of protein but none of us like them! My MIL gave me a large bag of them from her tree but we won’t eat them as raw fruit. Maybe I’ll try the pudding from this site:
Here’s a free download which will inform you about persimmons if, like me, you don’t know much about them.

Cabbage isn’t our favourite veggie but it can really stretch out a meal. The meal I use cabbage for mostly is our version of a Chow Mein. I’ll post the recipe when we have it next. I use Kangaroo meat, rice and cabbage as the basis for it.

Sweet potato (kumera or yams) is not only yummy but supplies our bodies with Vit. E and folate. Just last night, I julienned a sweet potato and added it to the baking dish where I was roasting cubed potatoes. We all love sweet potato!

Mushrooms are also in season but at $9 per kg I can’t afford too many. But pumpkins were cheap at the markets so I bought a few of those. Pumpkins are so versatile, aren’t they? We like Pumpkin Soup and Pumpkin Pie with Brown Rice.

Do you have any absolutely delightful recipes featuring these foods? Would you like to share the recipe, either by writing here or leaving a link to your own blog post? I’d love to hear your favourite winter recipes, or those recipes using foods in season.

Nourishing Foods…From the Inside Out

I’ve noticed that our eating habits change with every house we are in. I think it mainly has to do with the kitchen. Even though this house is smaller, the kitchen is bigger! I l o v e the kitchen!!!!!! Plenty of bench space and cupboard space makes storing goods easier but the best thing is that the stove is fuelled by gas! I love cooking with gas instead of electricity.

About 1.5 km down the road is the local Village Plaza where I have Woolworths and Foodland (Foodland is a South Australian Independent store) but they also have a few butchers, a continental deli , a fresh-food green grocer and a bakery. What more could I ask for? For the first time in years, I am able to actually buy the things that I usually cook with.

Once a fortnight, we’ve been going into the city to the Central markets. Many years ago, the markets overwhelmed me but now I am zipping around them with ease. I don’t know if it is because I am older and a bit more relaxed or that after traipsing around the nation, learning about new, foreign towns every year, that I am thoroughly enjoying the familiarity of Adelaide. maybe my perception of what was hard has now changed, after our recent life experiences.

Anyway, I have been thoroughly enjoying all the cooking and preparing of meals once again. My passion for healthy food has been rekindled and so I’ve been doing some reading of Nourishing Traditions again and visiting a few blogs- only a few though…I have hardly been online at all and I’m not overly keen to start spending hours at it again. However, I did want to mention a few things that I’ve been reading and doing.

Michigan Momto3 writes some very inspiring and informative posts on her blog, Musings of Home and Hearth. I know this lady and she has such knowledge for nourishing foods…and such a passion to share! Do drop by her blog and try some of her recipes and read her shared knowledge of books she is currently reading.

Reading her blog, I was inspired to make my own stock again. I toddled off to the shops and bought some chicken carcasses, came home and simmered them away on the stove. The whole family agreed that tonight’s Minestrone Soup was the absolute *best* I’ve ever made. I credit the stock. Something that I learned from Nourishing Traditions is to add a little vinegar to the stockpot as this helps draw the nutrients out of the bones and carcass.

With rising costs of meat, and the concern I have with typical meat from the butcher we tend not to eat beef or lamb anymore. Instead, we have always used ground kangaroo meat. But I have found the best organic kangaroo store at the Central markets. not only can I get ground meat, but beautiful roo sausages and diced steak. The other night, I did Kangaroo Pepper Steak with mashed potato and pumpkin. It was lovely! Tonight, I used the diced steak to make Kangaroo Stroganoff. Again, the meat was beautifully tender and juice, which isn’t always easy with game meat. Not only is the kangaroo cheaper but it hasn’t been tainted with as many chemicals and other yuckies. So, if you see me post a few recipes, you’ll know why- that’s where my head is at the moment.

Another thing that may be worth sharing is what I have been using to cleanse my face. Yeah, I know, who really cares right? But this is quite interesting. I had previously used Cetaphil with simple moisturiser but since coming down south, away from the lovely humidity of Brisbane, I have really felt my skin, particularly my face, become very dry. I would use the moisturiser but my face would just soak it all up. I don’t like to use a heavy moisturiser as I can tend to have an oily T zone. I had read a little about the Oil Cleansing Method but didn’t like the idea at first…after all my skin can tend to be oily. But I also know that oily skin will become oilier if not moisturised or conditioned. So I took to researching it a bit more. Then I thought I’d have a play and experiment with it. well after using it for a few weeks, I suggested that ‘Miss A’ use it too. She has now been using it for 2 weeks and she loves it too!

My skin has been very clear and feels so smooth. It isn’t dry any more but it certainly isn’t oily. After I get out of the shower I simply splash a little cool water on my face to close the pores and then I use Akin’s Rosehip oil around my eyes and the Simple moisturiser on my face and neck. Sometimes, I use the same oil mixture on my neck and décolletage. Oh, it’s also fantastic for removing make-up! Absolutely wonderful. Other times, especially at night I might use Virgin Coconut Oil. (I also use Coconut Oil on my hair at night- about once a week. It’s magic!)

I poured the oils into a jar and followed the instructions on this site: The Oil Cleansing Method.

I used the following oils for my skin:

30ml Castor Oil
30ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
30ml Grapeseed Oil
5-10ml Tea Tree Oil
a few drops of Sweet Almond oil

Here are a few more links if you’re interested:

http://www.highonhealth.org/why-you-need-to-start-using-the-oil-cleansing-method-ocm/

http://www.thebeautybottle.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=2

As with anything though, you should do your own research first and then do some test patches before applying to your face.

That’s about it for now…till next time.

Please, please pray for Robin

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

Please, please pray for Robin Sampson. Robin has had health issues for some time now and recently posted an update. She had to go into hospital again for a blood transfusion. Even amidst all these health matters, she still manages to hear from the Father and post what she is learning. Read her post, A Reminder of the Blood Covenant.

Robin is a homeschooling mum of 20 years. She has 11 children and is the author of The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach and the Biblical Holidays book. She is a fantastic encouragement to many. Recently Robin has had a setback and she and her family need your prayers. Please pray for them. You can visit her blog to receive regular updates. Her good friend, Kathleen, posts updates as she can.

Please pray.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

**UPDATE** 7th May

Robin’s medication has been changed and she is feeling so much better. The medication seemed to play havoc with her emotionally. The Dr’s have also said that her heart is fine and she won’t need another heart operation. Praise God! There are still more tests needed to see where the internal blood loss is coming from so your continued prayers are needed. See all updates here: http://heartofwisdom.com/blog/

Mother's Day

How was your Mother’s Day?

I woke to yummy smell of pancakes and maple syrup with good cappuccino. The children got up early and made breakfast in bed for me. It was lovely. It’s great to see the children working together on a common goal- that of blessing someone else.

Related posts

Mother’s day 2007

Your Turn! If your children have been to school, why did you bring them home?

Your Turn! If your children have been to school, why did you bring them home?

As usual, feel free to leave your response by way of comment or a link to your own blog.

HOWTA Book Study: Ch. 2

Chapter 2

God Called you to be a part of His Plan.

Here we are in chapter two of the Heart of Wisdom Approach. In this chapter, Robin is going to address the common feeling of fear and calling. She has taken the basic foundation of living as a believer and related that to home schooling!

Fear is an obstacle that can hinder us in our spiritual and home school journey. Sometimes those fears arise from life circumstances and other times, they are more home school related. Robin tells us that it was during the writing of the HOWTA that she received some tragic news that she had to shoulder alone. Yet, within moments of taking the burden to the Father she felt unburdened and she knew that God was in control.

It was once Robin let go of her fear, her burden, that she was able to function fully, with joy and purpose. The object of her joy was God, but not because she was resigned to accept the situation, rather because she knew that God was in control.

Robin goes on to say that as Christians we have a viewpoint (perspective) that is different to a non believer. As believers, we can have trust in God (trust that produces peace) amidst hard times whereas non-believers tend to experience anxiety and worry due to fear.

With regard to home schooling, fear comes from many sources: what method to use? What curriculum? What subjects? How many hours to school? Learning styles? Socialisation? High School? Family/friends thoughts? Housework? Aackk, where does the list end?

Robin encourages us to remember that we need not worry about curriculum or home schooling issues! Philippians 4: 6-7 tells us that: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Robin also reminds us that God wants to develop patience and endurance in our lives: And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ~ Romans 5:3-4

But how do we acquire this faith?

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

Robins points out something very interesting ;

We have fear or concerns about home schooling. We need faith.
Faith comes from spending time in God’s word.
Home schooling gives us opportunity to spend this time.
When we home school by following God’s plan, our faith grows’our worry diminishes AND we teach our children!!!!

The book then talks to us of Moses and the leading of the Israelites out of Egypt. God told Moses all that He would do and Moses was still anxious! He tried to give God reasons why he couldn’t do the task. Hey, how many of can relate to those objections? Lack of eloquence, (lack of academic knowledge, etc) and fear that the Israelites wouldn’t listen (How many times have you heard or said, “Oh, my children don’t listen to me like they do their teacher”?.

Is our task as hard as Moses call? God called Moses and he enabled Moses. He’ll do the same for you! Trust in Him, that He will provide all your needs, even in the home schooling aspect.

Robin goes on to encourage us to have faith in God. Rather than declare that we can’t or that we aren’t smart enough, patient enough, time enough or anything else, we can declare that you will walk by faith, not by sight.

We need to seek God to learn how He thinks.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. ~ Isaiah 55: 8-11

Robin tells us that “The root of our weakness will always lie in not trusting God, step-by-step, moment-by-moment. We can only be as strong in faith as we are in direct communication with God, it is then that He will work in us the fullness of Christ.” (page 36-37)

Take heart! Those whom He calls, He equips. He knows what your children will face in the future, and He will give you what you need to educate them in the way they need to be educated. Just trust in Him for what you need.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Points to consider privately

Do you have any fear that you are making the wrong choice in home schooling your child/children?
Do you know that you are able to give your children a good education?
Do you know that you will be able to accomplish this task of home schooling.
Why are you home-schooling?
Are you home schooling with a purpose?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Some articles for further reading

Don’t forget the “The Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach” ( 70-page excerpt PDF File) if you don’t have the book. –
Are Parents Qualified to Teach Their Children? by Robin Sampson
Listening to God by Dr. Charles Stanley
Seek Ye First by Oswald Chambers

Your Turn! Were you homeschooled?

I managed to keep up with blogging while moving interstate and living in apartments but since moving into our home I haven’t kept up with anything online. So Your Turn! is a little late but here is another one…

Your Turn! Were you homeschooled?

If so, please share of your homeschooled experience. If not, you can share your schooling experience anyway.

As usual, either post a comment here or post a link to your own blog where you might have posted on this issue previously.

HOWTA Book Study: Ch. 1

Chapter One
Homeschool Journey- Escape from Public School

In this chapter, Robin tells of their journey from public school to bringing the children home and the path they trod since. She likens their journey to the Exodus- the escape from Egypt. For those who are not familiar with this story, it might pay if we all refresh our memories. Start in your chronological bibles and read from Exodus 1 onwards. Briefly, the story tells about the Hebrews being set free, their walk in the wilderness, God providing, their looking back and of their entering the Promised Land- a land flowing with milk and honey.

Just as God set the Hebrews free, Robin tells of their story- their being liberated – being grateful for being home.albeit in a typical school-at-home setting. Then, Robin tells how she started to feel doubts, panic, unbelief just as the Israelites started grumbling after a few weeks of being led around the wilderness. Robin tells that she started to look back to Egypt, the ways of the school system. But it was about this time that she knew she needed to find a better way.

God provided nourishment each day! The Israelites didn’t need to hoard as God gave them fresh manna each day. During this parallel time, Robin started devouring information on learning styles, methods, and approaches. Soon the Israelites began to doubt and fear that they would ever reach the Promised Land and Robin seems to convey that she felt similar- that she was still ‘looking back to Egypt’. She felt that this was a fear based work and it wasn’t trusting in God as Jehovah Jireh-the Lord provides.

After time, Moses died and God speaks some VERY significant words to Joshua.
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night.” This was the time where Robin and her family started feasting on God’s Word day and night!

All throughout the story of the Exodus we can see God’s mercy, His grace and His justice. We can see how God used an ordinary man to achieve an extraordinary task. Robin encourages us to leave Egypt but then to go the distance into the Promised Land. Robin tells us that the moment academics begin to direct us, or slow our pursuit of God, it (academics) goes from being a helpful tool to the ‘cares of this life’.

Robin goes on to tell us that simply changing resources and/or utilising different methods were only surface changes- that deeper work was necessary and that came from being in God’s word and coming to an understanding of the knowledge of God.

Articles to read for further study and reflection:
One Needful Thing
Academic Requirements

LINKS
Heart of Wisdom
Purchase the HOWTA book: buy the book and view many sample pages
HOW Teaching Approach: for articles and further reading.

Helpful tools.
Science ~ All about God’s Creation
Math ~ About God’s order
History ~ About His-Story, His plan for the world and the redemption of His people
Government ~ How God has established human government for specific purposes
Language Arts ~ How to tell others about God’s truth (both writing and speaking)
Literature ~ To read of how He has affected other lives
Economics ~ To understand stewardship, God’s rules about money
Arts ~ To appreciate God’s gifts of music, drama, dance, and art, as forms of worship to Him
Health ~ To learn of God’s plan for nutrition and health

Discussion starters: (or points to consider privately)

Where are you? Are you in Egypt? Greece? Wilderness or The Promised Land?
Are you hoarding or storing up nourishment instead of receiving it from God on a daily basis?
Do you look back to ‘Egypt’ (school system or other system)?
Share your journey of homeschooling.
On page 27, Robin talks about academics being important tools. What are ‘academics’ to you? Are they a goal…a destination? Why do we study English.or Maths?
Share anything that touched you or ministered to you from Chapter one.
Have you had, or are you experiencing, a paradigm shift or a renewing of the mind? Care to share? By what process is your mind being renewed? If you aren’t undergoing a renewing of the mind, are you ready to seek God…to leave Egypt and gain a ‘heart of wisdom‘?

HOWTA Book Study: Preface

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to lead an email discussion group while studying the Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach (herein referred to as HOWTA) by Robin Sampson. I’d like to share the chapter summaries and things I’ve pondered here.

Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach Book Study

PREFACE
The first sentence sums it all up! The HOW TA begins with the Bible as the centre of education, with all subordinate studies taught through the light of God’s Word.. This tells us what we can expect from the book. Robin Sampson then goes on reminding us (or in some cases it might be informing one for the first time) that we need to make the very most of whatever time we have left.

Robin then shares what the Hebrews thought of ‘the heart’ in contrast to what or how the Greeks believed to be important. She tells us that the Hebrews believed;

The Heart is the centre of our Intellect.
The Heart is the centre of emotions.
And the Heart is the centre of our wills.

Robin then shows us the two trains of thought regarding wisdom.

1) Wisdom from God, as sought after by the Hebrews and

2) Wisdom of the world, as sought after by the Greeks.

Learning the differences between the two trains of thought have helped me in many ways. It has enabled me to see the worldview behind many things. It has been really important for me to see these differences, especially in the area of ‘education’ as I can see how far I had strayed from God’s Word in the training and teaching of my children.

Lord, help us to make the most of our time and resources. I don’t want to be idle, to waste my time on empty pursuits yet I find that I do these very things. Lord, bring me back to you more and more. Father, give me wisdom…that this wisdom may be seen as a witness by my husband, children and others that I come in contact with each day. Lord, renew my mind.

LINKS
Heart of Wisdom
Purchase the HOWTA book: buy the book and view many sample pages
HOW Teaching Approach: for articles and further reading.

Points for further reflection and study:

Have you ever been ‘awakened’ by a tragedy? Would you like to share?
What would you change if you realised you only had a short time left here on earth?
Have you learnt of the differences between Greek and Hebrew thought? Would you like to share?
Please check back next week (subscribe to the RSS feeds) as I share some more from this wonderful, insightful book.

Your Turn! Are you qualified to teach your children?

Your Turn! The chance to offer your two cents worth.

Are you qualified to teach your children at home?

HOWTA Book Study: Introduction

It’s HOWTA Book Study time.

Introduction

Who likes to cook? Prepare yummy nutritious meals for their family? Do you have a favourite cookbook? Are you the type who follows the recipe to the letter or do you like to add variation by supplementing or complementing the dish? Do you overly stress about meal planning? Do you even meal plan? How far in advance do you plan?

See, I reckon that we’d have many different responses here, based upon our different personalities and backgrounds. The HOW TA is similar in approach. Robin has recognised that we need to eat nutritiously! That we need to use some key ingredients, but that they may vary from time to time…but every recipe has a key ingredient that simply cannot be left out- the dish will not be right otherwise!

So we set about baking a cake. We assemble the flour, eggs, sugar, butter and choc chips. 😛 Then, we cream the butter and the sugar, add in the other ingredients and bake it in the oven. Next, we ice our cake with some fudge frosting cake, decorated with a few sliced strawberries on top, with a dollop of whipped cream. We try to exercise control as we have one moderate piece with a nice hot cup of tea. 😉

Here we have a basic recipe with ingredients, a method of preparation and an outcome.

Robin likens our endeavours of home education to this; we have the:

Ingredients ( Bible, books, video’s etc) and we have:
Certain methods ( 4 step method, copywork, narration, scrapbooking, literature based, etc) and we have:
A desired outcome (presentation and consumption of good ideas)

The HOWTA contains two main recipes. One is a recipe that we should consume on a daily basis and that is God’s Word. The second is a recipe for a unit study. Robin tells us that we are free to adapt this recipe to suit our family’s needs. Let’s dig in and have a closer overview of the Main Course eh?

The Main Course – the main dish/ingredient in our main course is the Bible.
Well, how many times have we said, “Well duh, of course!” and then continued on our merry way? Or am I the only one who has done that? 😳

HOW provides a Bible approach in the way of chronological readings along with various nutritious seasonings like Bible study tools. You need to work out the exact measurements for your own family though. That’s the beautiful thing about it! It isn’t purely a One Size Fits All meal. Have you ever eaten a pre-packed TV dinner? They’re okay when you’re in a pinch (they might serve a purpose) but ya can’t live off them regularly and expect to be healthy!

Okay, do we have any side dishes and side dish recipes? Of course- every good meal does! Ours include the study of history, science and life skills. Also included are living books, video’s, and the Internet. What about a sprinkling of geography, composition, religion, government, economics, and more? Sure thing! Robin tells us that all we need to complete our meal is a dish of maths, phonics, a foreign language and other electives.

Now, let’s move on to planning the meal! We have the recipes, we have the side dishes. We have the method of how to prepare it. Robin encourages us to NOT leave out the Essential Ingredient – the Bible. But this meal planning business? Well, the HOWTA even helps us with that. Four years worth of meal plans! Okay, a schedule or plan to cover 4 years worth of study. Then repeat that three times and you have 12 years worth of meal plans!

Robin tells us that if we use the HOW teaching approach we can use the recipes provided (the HOW unit studies available) or we can devise our own recipes by modifying the recipes. I’ve found it helpful to also use the method in other lessons.whether or not I’m using a HOW unit study or not.

The HOW Teaching Approach book is compiled into five sections.

1) Lessons from Exodus
2) Rethinking Education
3) HOW Methods
4) HOW Instructions
5) Resources

LINKS
Heart of Wisdom
Purchase the HOWTA book: buy the book and view many sample pages
HOW Teaching Approach: for articles and further reading.

Any comments or questions so far?

Familiarity with Bible Terminology

Biblical terminology, vocabulary or jargon: do your children know it? Do you consider it important for them to know? Why? Why not?

The Bible can be hard to understand. It can seem like a foreign language. In a sense, it is. If you were going to go and live in another country where English isn’t spoken would you try to learn the native language in an effort to understand the people, the culture? Well, the Bible can be likened to that too! Learning the language, the terminology, the use of literary style…It’s hard work. It takes study. It takes time, effort, patience and diligence. It won’t happen in 10 min a day, especially if that 10 minutes a day is spent reading someone else’s thoughts on that country or language. Naturally, you’d be much better off to spend time directly learning that language eh. So I’ve been thinking that I’d like my children to have a better grasp on the Bible and God’s plan and purpose than I did…so how am I going about that? (you can see our approach to Bible study here)

What methods are you using to teach your child to study the Bible?

I’m not talking about curriculum or a book but what methods are you teaching your children to use so that they can continue with a lifelong love and habit of studying God’s word? I’d love to hear from you.

Your Turn! What is your favorite piece of advice for a new homeschooler?

Your Turn!

What is your favourite piece of advice for a new homeschooler?

Academic Growth Spurts

Have you ever noticed a pattern to growth spurts? For a few months, during a growth spurt, my child might look like they’ve put on a little weight- they’ll look a little rounder. A few months later though, and their trousers become ankle freezers and their jumpers are too short. During this part of the growth spurt, they look as though they’ve dropped a couple of kg’s. They haven’t at all – they’ve simply shot up in height. I’ve noticed that sometimes my children grow horizontally and then awhile later, they’ll have a vertical growth spurt. It’s an amazing process to watch. 😀 Out then up, fill out then up. It’s also a process where one needs to have long arms as they will tend to eat us out of house and home. I can usually tell when my children are heading for a growth spurt (and by watching them I can also tell when I’ll need to buy them new clothes) as they start to eat more. Yeah, they become bottomless pits!

The academic mind is much similar to our physical bodies. There are times when a growth spurt is very obvious and I’ll observe that their thinking skills or knowledge base has been stretched in a horizontal way – they’re building on top of the knowledge they already have…they’re making connections of their own and figuring how information goes together. Then, there’s the academic-vertical growth spurt where they learn new information and it appears like there is great growth. During all this time, they need to be fed nutritious, healthy, rich mind food and a diet full of rich ideas written in an engaging style generous in literary quality and great truths in order for the whole person to be nourished.

Ever noticed that during times of growth spurt that the child can become a little clumsy or awkward? Sometimes they will seem like their coordination is slightly off or they’ll always be bumping into things or having little accidents. I wonder if this is because the body has changed and so the habitual habits (fine and gross motor skills) must also adapt. So it is with the mental growth spurts of children. The connections they make may not be entirely correct, they may use terminology that isn’t quite right, they may struggle with appropriate talk at a given time…much of this is part of the mental growth spurt stage. Just like a physical growth spurt, this stage needs good nutrition, exercise, stimulation, patience and time. There are some things that just can’t be rushed.

There are times when one of my children have had a voracious appetite for good books. I may not have seen much ‘output‘ from them during this stage. In fact, it seemed like they were a bottomless pit- devouring good books yet not putting on any weight. But then, a short time later, the growth spurt would come and I would have opportunity to witness the effects of their partaking in a rich diet- a growth spurt. Just as the height of an adolescent may not change yet the body is undergoing huge changes. The bones are developing, reaching maturity yet we don’t necessarily see these changes.

What I had to learn throughout all this was that all the stages are important and that I shouldn’t esteem one stage as more important that the other. I wanted to see the vertical growth spurt all the time. But I didn’t. I had to learn that it isn’t right, necessary or desirable to see vertical growth all the time… that all the stages of the growth spurt are important and necessary for a full, well rounded person. I am learning to observe my children more. Then I can decide what their needs are and set about meeting those needs. Everyday brings something new, something rich, something different, something exciting…take time to stop and look for the little things and then consider how to best meet the needs of your children.

Have you ever felt that your child was devouring information yet not doing much with it (output)? Have you ever noticed the different aspects within the growth spurt period? Does thinking this way change the way you view anything in your child or your homeschool?

Catching up after the move…

Wow, so much has happened that I can’t even begin to write about it all. Instead, I’ll just give the bare bones version.

We left Brisbane and drove to Surfer’s Paradise where we stayed for a few days. That was nice and relaxing after the hectic packing and uplift of our furniture. Then we drove on to Sydney. We spent the day with John’s brother and it was great to catch up with them. We drove out of Sydney the next day and nearly got to Canberra when we had to go back to Sydney for family reasons. We didn’t get to set off again until 6pm which was, you guessed it, during peak hour traffic. We were expected at the apartments in Adelaide on the following day. We couldn’t see how we could make it. We usually take ages to travel anywhere as John stops regularly…and really, how fast can a Tarago van, lugging a trailer go? It was my bright idea to not stop overnight and just keep going. My dad told me that Friday was going to be 38 degrees so this confirmed the decision. So we drove and drove and drove until we got here yesterday afternoon. Yes, 33 hours of straight driving!

But we arrived! We were put into apartments but as it was Easter break and considering the large size of our family (Oh puhleeze) we couldn’t get an apartment big enough so the girls were in one apartment and the boys, John and I were in another. We were only there for one week and then we had to move to another block of apartments in the city where we had the same arrangements.

House hunting has been a nightmare. Real estate agents didn’t want to know us just before the Easter break so we felt like we were just ‘marking time’ or sitting on our hands. On Tuesday, we set about looking for rentals in and around the area but they were not suitable for a variety of reasons: price, condition, size, etc. We thought we’d do a drive-by of a Defence house that we initially thought was too far away. We looked at it and decided that it would be fine- a nice two-storey place. John called DHA the next morning, but it was taken. The only other house they could offer us was in the similar area but it is smaller. However, there is a bright side to this house. Our niece and her young family live exactly across the street! Wow, how cool could that be? After being away from family for 6 years, we could be right across the street! 😎 We are waiting to find out for sure if we get this house and if so, when we can move in.

It has been a rather difficult time. Personally I wouldn’t have minded being in the temporary accomodationn if it were just the boys and us. We could easily explore the neighbourhood and do a few basic workbooks but teh girls have wanted to get a start on with their new lives. ‘Miss R’ needs to get settled into a new school and ‘Miss A’ is keen to start her part-time course in fitness as well as get a new part-time job. We have put this off until we knew what area we would be living in. The girls have found it all rather frustrating. Previously we have always tried to embrace each move as a new, exciting adventure and while the girls still do view it this way, they have a sense of frustration. But they have lived in this state of ‘limbo’ for quite some time now so I totally understand how they would feel.

So that is the skeletal version of our life over the last few weeks. Of course it has been fuller and richer than what it sounds, but that’s an overview. I’m still totally convinced, more than ever, that life is education! 😛

Glossary:

Pre-pack – the day the packers come and start packing all our furniture, books and belongings into boxes.

Up-lift – the day the boxes and furniture are packed onto the trucks

Down-lift – the day our furniture and boxes are unpacked from the truck to the house

DHA – Defence Housing Organisation

Edited to add: Just heard from John. Yes, we have the house so we know where we’ll be living! Our down-lift day is next Wednesday. Yes, we have to move apartments again tomorrow but at least we finally have a house and a moving in date! Wahoo!

Your Turn! Where do you usually buy your curriculum and other items?

Time for readers to answer another Your Turn! This is your chance to link to your favourite curriculum supplier, tell others about a new vendor or leave a link to your own business.

Where do you usually buy your curriculum and other items?

Your Turn! What is the strangest thing…

What is the strangest or funniest thing someone has said to you about homeschooling?

Either leave a comment or post a link to your own blog post.

Your Turn! What do you love most about homeschooling?

What do you love or appreciate most about homeschooling?

Either post a comment here or leave a link to your own blog post.

Your Turn! What is the hardest thing about homeschooling?

In your experience and opinion, what is the hardest thing about homeschooling?

Share either the hardest thing you have personally faced or a general idea.

Every House Needs a Can of WD-40

Note to self:

I am knee deep in cleaning and putting things in their place when I found out the my rubber backed bathmat is stuck to the bathroom floor! After making a mental note to NOT use rubber backed bath mats again I have tried to get it off. It’s hard work, and a lot of elbow grease. But I have found something that makes the job easier.

WD-40

Spray it all over the rubber, leave for as long as possible (I left mine for about 2 hours) and then attack it with a plastic scraper! Only thing that worked!

It’s not just for the car and shed. Must remember to keep a can of WD-40 in my cleaning cupboard.

Moving yet again…getting tedious, isn't it?

Anyone remember my post earlier this year about how much I was looking forward to a settled year and how much I planned to accomplish with the boys?

I wrote:

I’m also looking forward to this year. This is shaping up to be the first year in many that we will not be moving house! Six moves in seven years- hmmm, it is very tiring. I’m looking forward to only having normal life interruptions this year, in this house! I am hoping to do some intensive one-on-one work with the boys in the areas of math, science and physical education. I also hope to write a few more lessons in my Bible study which I’ll then upload to the site.

Ha! I was wrong! So very wrong, which I why I have given up on being a planner. We found out last week that we will be moving again. It is totally unexpected and out of the blue, but it is a compassionate posting due to family needs. Part of me is sad and cranky because I’m tired of moving and I really like the weather here in QLD. But another part of me is so overjoyed to be going back to our home state of SA. I haven’t seen my father for 18 months and I have missed him so much. Once we found out the bare details last week, the children have been unable to concentrate or focus on anything other than moving and life in the new state. They’re also very excited! The older the children get and the more ingrained into a town they are, it is harder for them to leave but we are looking forward to making SA our home again.

It will be a quick move, within 12 days, which we’ve done before 🙄 so if I’m not around forums, email and blogs very much you’ll know why.

This whole move also brings with it (as a part of it and also separate) a different situation, one that has involved more pain that I have ever experienced in my life. Our Father knows of all this, of course, so any prayers you can offer on our behalf would be most appreciated.

Your Turn! Describe a typical day at your home.

Describe a typical day at your home.

You can either write here in the comment section (doesn’t matter if it is lengthy) or leave a link to your own blog post.

Updates: new downloadable freebies at Kerugma

Just a quick note to let readers know that I have added a few more downloadable freebies to the Kerugma site. You can find them at Kerugma, in the Download area, under Bible Study Resources.

Activity Sheets used in steps 3 and 4.

Observation Sheet : narration prompt, writing prompt or research aide

Lesson template: for devising your own lesson plans- based on Kerugma Bible studies

Idea Bookmark : for use with Kerugma Bible study

Vocabulary Worksheets

Outline of Author : Standard sheet for students to use when completing an Author Outline

Chapter Summary Form: this form can be used as a worksheet or simply as narration style prompts.

Book Report: We use these forms as part of our record keeping system.

Book Synopsis: slightly different to a book report. We use this form as well.

Attendance Sheet : Adaptable for any year

Australia, from the beginning: our course of study while reading the book by Eve Pownall. It is only a ‘bare bones’ framework but provides room for more.

What is Labour Day : worksheet for students to complete.

Kitchen Duties: see my blog post for details

Feel free to leave a comment in you have enjoyed the downloads, or if there is anything in particular that you’d like to see.

More coming as time permits…

Updated 19/07/2009

An empty pantry?

I’ve spent the last few days slowly de-cluttering some rooms and areas. I’m a hoarder by nature and I don’t find it easy to throw things out yet with all our house moves it is getting easier. Actually, discerning WHY I hoard things was a real eye-opener for me. I’m not usually one to blame everything on my childhood or upbringing but in this instance I realised that I had taken some things from my childhood and carried them into my adulthood.

The pantry is one area that I can tend to hoard things. I like the feeling of an over stocked pantry. It sends me a message that I’m not going to go hungry or have to eat miserably- that I have choice. There are so many problems with the root of my hoarding that I needed to go to the Cross with it all- and then I need to take steps to check myself and that I am continuing to trust God. So this is why I clean out my pantry. It’s not because I am a deep seated organisational type. Oh, to be one of those people! But because I can revert to hoarding instead of trusting God.

So I have cleaned out my pantry and linen cupboards. The pictures above are of the highly organised, yet rather empty looking pantry. I threw out so much out-of-date food is was shameful. Yet at least now I can find what food we do have!

The children are de-cluttering their bedrooms. ‘Miss A’ remarked on how freeing it all was. I hope she remembers and carries that trait with her into her adulthood.

Robin’s Heart at Home blog is an excellent source of motivation and inspiration for me. If you’re interested in organisation and homemaking, be sure to check our her blog.

Have you de-cluttered or reorganised lately? Care to share any ‘before and after’ shots? 😯

Super Simple Spiritual Sunday

The Super Simple Spiritual Sunday Meme is simple for me this week. This is a few of the blog posts I’ve enjoyed. My RSS feed reader is chock-a-block with new posts but I simply haven’t had time to read them yet. maybe one day soon…

Cindy’s Desktop Cindy interviews Wendy Shaw from MyMorningSickness.com. You will LOVE this show! Wendy and Cindy discuss a topic that is for EVERYONEeven if you are now mothering grown children. Yep! They discuss what to do when mum is not feeling well! Great MP3 download!
Robin answers the question of “Just how do you do it all?“
Dana writes on praying “Take me away with you“
This post is a beautiful reminder about creating a lovely atmosphere in our master bedroom. I know too well that it isn’t easy with little children, but we can still try. It’s certainly worth the effort. As my children have gotten older I have used my bedroom more and more as a sanctuary. I really appreciate it. This post also has some good links to follow.
Different blog, same author writes about creating and caring for our homes

Your Turn! Where do you do most of your homeschooling?

So, where do you do most of your homeschooling?

In the car? Student desks? Dining table? Lounge room? Park? Computer? Kitchen? Bedrooms?

I've had a facelift!

Tehee, I thought that might get some attention. Okay, so I haven’t had a facelift but my blog has! I love mucking around with graphics, colours and themes and often practice new themes from the back end of my blog, but where’s the fun in that? I was also very annoyed to see that my blog rendered fine in Firefox and Opera it looked all skewif in IE. The right column wasn’t where it should be and things like that. It bugged me. So I played around with it. I had been toying with the idea of going with a completely different style- still sticking with 3 columns but both on the same side- it’s very Web 2.0 of me eh? Usually I spend some time tweaking the template to suit me and reflect my taste in colours but this new template is straight out of the box! Do you like it? ‘They’ say that a change is as good as a holiday (ever wondered who ‘they’ are?) so this is my new look for 2008.

So, I went away from my usual purples and went with a beautiful design from InfoCreek. For some reason, this theme reminds me of the series of books I’ve recently enjoyed: Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin but I don’t know why.

I have tested this template (Aspire) in 4 different browsers and it looks fine for me. I hope it does for you too. If however, you do not like the new look, you can choose to view my blog using a different theme.

Maybe you like the old one (Dark Ritual) or maybe a deep pink patchwork is more your style (Bonita).

Downtown Java is a pretty theme inspired my love of coffee and blue florals.

Techicon is a simple, purple design, because I still love purple.

Vertigo Electrified is also a 3 column, maroon, black and white theme which is quite quick to load.

And just because I still love purple, there is the WP_Premium. It also loads quite fast.

If you scroll to the bottom of the page, on the right hand side you should find a section that says “Theme Switcher“. Just click on the template that loads best for you and you’ll zoom around this site as quick as a flash.

If you have any problems with the site or any feedback, don’t hesitate to drop me an email or leave a comment.

SSSS

It’s been a long time since I’ve participated in a Super Spiritual Sunday Meme but I have a few links to share you with today. Technically it isn’t really SSSS for me as I’m blogging on Monday morning. However it is Sunday for many other who live on the other side of the world…so post I will!

😛

Pruning the homeschool tree by Taschek Tales. Those who have homeschooled for long will recognise a lot and newer homeschoolers will find nuggets to glean for future reference.
High School Scheduling- Some Non-Traditional Options by Janice Campbell. While you’re there have a look around Janice’s blog. You’ll find a ton of good and helpful information especially for high schoolers.
Homeschooling from Overflow is a timely reminder to recharge our batteries, by Jeannie Fulbright.
Selecting a Bible: How to Choose the Best Bible for Your Needs by Eclectic Homeschool.
While not a Christian site or program, this link is to a podcast featuring Australian homeschoolers. We Homeschool at the ABC.
Marvelous Mud Washing Machine has a good article on Training Our Children

Your Turn! Why do you homeschool?

Time for another Your Turn question!

Why do you homeschool?
If your children have been to school, why did you take them out and homeschool? Do you homeschool for social, moral, academic, athletic, family, health, financial, spiritual or other reasons?

Free project book: Mary Cassatt

If you’ve always wanted to teach your child art appreciation but didn’t know how, this handy notebook will be an excellent free addition to your home.

Mary Cassatt was an American Impressionist painter during the late 1800s. we love Cassat’s paintings in our family- she loves painting children and just captures a beautiful spirit within her work.

This free download at Homeschool e Store is 56 pages long and includes a research guide about Cassatt’s childhood, family and life.

Your Turn!

Okay, it’s time for Your Turn again! Last week was so much fun. This week’s question is,

How long have you been homeschooling?

We are entering our 11th years of learning at home. We unoffically started in late 1997 and 1998 was our first year. What about you?

Creating Your Home

“The only way to provide the right home for your children is to put the Lord above them and fully instruct them in the ways of the Lord. You are responsible before God for the home you provide for them.”~Billy Graham

The best houses seem to come ‘from the heart’, and are created by people who know who they are and express it. ~Charlotte Moss

“Home is where we belong, it is our space and our place whether for a week, a year or as long as we can foresee. It is where we can just ‘be’ and also where we can express ourselves in our surroundings, be they a temporary room, a rented apartment or our own house. It is a place of rest from work, but also requires work to keep it going. It is a place of relaxation and of enjoyment in making it interesting, colourful, beautiful and welcoming; where we can thrive rather than passively survive.” ~ Adapted from Ruth Fowke

“If you want a golden rule that will fit everybody, this is it: have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. ~William Morris

Free Copywork Ebook from DownUnder Literature

I have previously written about the marvellous ladies and their products at DownUnder literature. They have some fantastic samples on their site but they also are featured as the free giveaway sample at Homeschool estore this week!

Beatrix Potter for Beginners Ball & Stick

This copy work eBook has been developed to provide a language-arts resource that helps a child develop the early writing skills that lead to good handwriting. Four complete Beatrix Potter stories, complete with their charming illustrations, were chosen because they have enduring value.

This copywork ebook suits those who want to fill their childrens mind with living literature and not just the technical aspects of bending lines nicely. This ebook is very easy to use. There is one lesson per page. It begins with simple tracing and finishes with writing words in sentences in the line underneath.

Do check out Down Under Literature– they’re a relatively small but excellent company. Best of all, they’re Aussie…they’re home grown! 🙂

Doing' alright?

Dear Lord,

So far today, God,
I’ve done all right.
I haven’t gossiped,
Haven’t Lost my temper,
Haven’t been greedy,
Grumpy, nasty, selfish,
Or Over-indulgent.
I’m really glad about that.
But in a few minutes, God,
I’m going to get out of bed,
And from then on,
I’m probably going to need a
Lot more help.
Amen

Gods Puts Us In Place

God sets the lonely in families, [Or the desolate in a homeland]
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
Psalm 68:6

I’d like to share a lesson that God has been teaching me over the last few months. Even though I have been learning this lesson on one level, over the holiday break a situation caused me to look at the lesson again and I was able to learn it at another level.

I know that God is in control of my life, and the life of my children. Yet, so often I try to control or manage situations so that they will prosper (not necessarily in a financial sense, which is why it can be deceptive). If it works then God gets the glory. If it doesn’t, then God still gets the glory yet deep down I’d wonder what else I could do to help the situation. Sounds horrid eh? It is. But the Lord revealed my sinto me. Not pretty, not at all. Downright ugly. After I had tried to reason it away, then justify it, I knew I had nowhere else to go but to the Cross – the cross of Calvary where blood was shed for my sin, once and for all. Yet I knew that I’d have to give up – ive up my control, my plans, my efforts to see this situation work out well. Eventually, I knew I really had no logical choice and I sat at the foot of the Cross.

God, the creator of all, who sets the heavens in place, who appoints the sun and the moon to do their job has also ordained the path of my children and their successes and failures. Oi Voi! I can plan and struggle and toil and network but the bottom line is that unless God has ordained it, my children will not reach the ‘high places’ that I dream of and plan for. I am realising more and more that any success they may achieve only comes from God for He will set them in a ‘high place’ or a ‘low place’.

My role isn’t to strive for the success. It is simply to apply myself at that which He has given me- He will set me (or my children) in place! I can stop fussing over it! Oh boy, I can stop toiling and stressing over situations. 😛 Sometimes I lament over the lack of opportunities that my children have and I worry that they may be disadvantaged in some way because of it. Oh boy, how self centred of me! God will set them wherever He sets them– regardless of me, or their upbringing, their opportunities or lack thereof!

I have been learning what it means to be a servant, His servant. I am too selfish to be a servant really. I think too much of myself…plan for myself, toil to get ahead. I look at my life and wonder how I can still be in this place after all these years. Surely after 20 years of serving God I should be in a better place or position, you know, a ‘higher place‘. Oh dear. Now my theology doesn’t agree with the ‘name it & claim it‘ teaching or the prosperity teaching makes me ill. I find it contrary to my reading and understanding of Scripture. If I am truly His servant, then I must accept all that He has given me and be thankful for it. It isn’t my role to question Him or to bemoan or curse what He has not given me. I know that my Father doesn’t always give me what I want, or what I think I want but He always supplies my needs. He has forgiven my sins and remembers them no more- what else do I need? He reached down from his heavenly high place, He lowered Himself to earth, He came to me and took away my guilt and shame and He washed me clean, by the blood of His Son. His mercy is new every morning, great is His faithfulness.

I may not know the reasons He does things but I can set my heart to accept that it is His will. Sometimes, when bad things happen to me I need to accept that even that is God’s will for me. Sometimes, I have a too-small view, a narrow self centred perspective. Everything that happens in my life is under His control and serves His purpose. I am His servant.

I know I have been a little jumbled here. I started off talking about how this related to a situation involving my children but ended with it being about me. But that’s exactly how the situation happened. Through my life as a mother, I looked in the mirror and saw my sinfulness. Putting feelings aside I went to the Cross and laid myself at His feet, allowing His blood to cleanse me. I am His servant. Lord do with me what you will. I am yours.

This is what the LORD says,
he who appoints the sun
to shine by day,
who decrees the moon and stars
to shine by night,
who stirs up the sea
so that its waves roar
the LORD Almighty is his name:
Jeremiah 31:35

No Laughing!

A cheerful heart is good medicine,but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

While reading Leonie’s post I had to laugh at my own family. We have such a weird sense of humour. Sometimes, only we understand ourselves! But you know, I think that’s good…the way it should be.

Books and movies and experiences have shaped our sense of humour, our personalities, our reactions to things, our language and other things that make us tick. Yes, we are influenced by movies and books. That’s why it’s good to be particular and deliberate about the things we put before the children. But we can be as careful as can be yet without relationship, without giving of ourselves to each other, our family can be bland – devoid of fun, laughter and silliness. Yet often these are the ties that bind us to each other…they provide the backdrop for memories or traditions.

Sometimes I wake the children in the morning, loudly singing a silly song that I first heard many years ago on an old Christian film. One has to perform this song in an animated way or it just isn’t the same. Everytime I start the song, drawing out the first bar, the children wake up and start to groan- they know I won’t shush until I’ve gone through the whole song. 🙄 But it starts our morning off with a laugh. It sets the tone or atmosphere for the day.

I’ve loved seeing my children’s sense of humour develop as they mature. The sad part is that I have the least sense of humour. It takes me awhile to ‘get’ things, to make connections but I have a good belly laugh once it finally clicks. But I cannot for the life of me be funny! Maybe being funny is a gift. Maybe I don’t have that gift. My children do. My husband definitely does. I missed out on it. Oh well, I’m quite happy to accept that and be be content to just laugh at everyone else’s funniness.

What about you? What has shaped your family’s sense of humour? Do you consciously try to impart laughter into your day? What made you laugh today?

Your Turn!

Those who know me well know that I’m always curious. Curious about anything and everything. One of my most frequently used words is the word, ‘why’. After that would be the words, where, when, what and how. 😉 So in keeping with my nature, I’m going to ask a few questions over the coming weeks so all those people who lurk (and lurking is okay. We all do it at some time and place) and those who don’t, can come forward and tell a little about themselves. Ready? Let’s start with an easy one.

When and where do you blog?

Tell of your own blogging habits- frequent, infrequent, irregular, frequently irregular, etc 😀 How long have you been blogging? Why do you blog? What do you blog about? If you don’t yet blog, tell why not. What’s your favourite aspect of blogging? What is your least favourite aspect of blogging? Leave a comment and provide your URL so others can visit.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Excuse my house!

Excuse This House
Author: Unknown

Some houses try to hide the fact
That children shelter there,
Ours boasts it quite openly,
The signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows,
Little smudges are on the doors
I should apologize, I guess
For toys strew on the floor.

But I sat down with my child
And we played and laughed and read
And if the doorbell doesnt shine,
His eyes will shine instead.

For when at times Im forced to choose
The one job or the other,
Id like to cook and clean and scrub,
But first Ill be a mother.

Don’t Neglect This Important Test

Paranoid teens? Hormonal headaches? Losing interest in things?

Maybe.

But maybe they just need their eyes tested!

A few years ago, one of my daughters would often ask John and I, “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Our response would be along the lines of, “You’re our beautiful daughter. Of course we look at you!”

But she often thought we were giving her a dirty look and would often respond accordingly. ~sigh~ We weren’t of course, but she couldn’t see us clearly and couldn’t make out the look on our faces. When we would watch a family movie, she often lost interest and would go to bed and read, despite her love for movies. She complained frequently of headaches. So off to the optometrist we went. Not just any optometrist though. I searched for a behavioural optometrist that works with children. Well, as it all turned out the poor lass did need glasses and quite strong ones at that. My darling daughter couldn’t believe how much clearer the world was when wearing the glasses. She is no longer paranoid and thinking we are ‘looking’ at her angrily. She can see our facial expressions quite clearly now. The headaches have also gone. Praise the Lord!

Just a few months ago, I noticed that our older daughter, the athlete, was squinting to see the catcher. She couldn’t see the signals. Her solid fielding of grounders dropped also. Off we went for a check-up. Lo and behold she needed glasses too! She also has contact lenses for playing sport. She is still totally amazed at how clear the world is. She says that she ‘missed out’ on seeing so much as it just wasn’t clear! If she wasn’t playing sport I probably wouldn’t have picked it up and taken her to be checked over. Many children get their eyes tested after a recommendation from a school teacher. Sometimes the children can’t see the blackboard. As homeschooler’s we don’t sit at the back of the class and read from the blackboard (which is a good thing!) but that also means that we may not pick up on a problem quite as quickly as if they were in school. It’s easier for the child to naturally compensate for blurry vision by moving closer or adjusting their position.

Whenever I go to the optometrist they get me to look through a lens to show me what each child sees. Wow! I couldn’t believe how poor the vision of my girls was. No wonder Bek thought we were giving her dirty looks. No wonder she couldn’t be bothered to watch a movie- she couldn’t see it! No wonder ‘Miss A’ couldn’t see the catcher’s signals- all she could see was the outline of the catcher, let alone their fingers! But the girls also didn’t realise their vision was so bad. As with many things that creep into our lives it happened slowly, little bit by little bit so it went unnoticed.

Please, listen and watch your children closely. Take them for a check up. It won’t hurt and you might be glad you did.

Optometrists.com.au is a good site. This article suggests that some learning delays can be attributed to a child’s poor visual system.
Search the Optometrist Association of Australia to find one near you.

What Sort of Poster Are You?

What sort of blog poster are you?

Maybe you’re an Invisible Poster? Do you ever post a deep & meaningful post which took awhile and you got no response?

Waffle Poster – you rabbit on and on and forget what your point in posting was?

Apologetic Poster – do you often find yourself apologising for possibly offending others?

A Trivial Poster – do you post heaps of info but never anything original?

So, what type of blog poster are you? What do you post about?

Heart of the Matter Online Magazine

There’s a new blog in the blogosphere! So what? There’s new blogs every day I hear one say. True but this one is a little different. It is called Heart of the Matter and its purpose is to is to provide a place for homeschooling parents to find all of the resources they desire in one convenient location. It is written by Christian women but there is much value here even for the secular homeschooler. There are approximately 18 monthly colums written by various homeschool mothers, on a wide variety of themes. The website is clean, bright and easy to navigate.

There is a column down the ride hand side so that you can search by keywords or you can view particular writers columns or you can view the online magazine as it is released each month. I encourage you to head over to Heart of the Matter and have a look.

Why I Don't Make New Year Resolutions

I don’t make New Year resolutions! Years ago, after many failed resolutions I declared that I would make only one more New Year resolution. That would be that I would never make New Year resolutions! I can report that I have been successful with that resolution.

I have a few friends (yes, only a few) and I think I sometimes get on their nerves with my incessant questioning of everything. To everything I ask the 5W’s and a H (I think that might be a theme for my year). If a friend tells me they’re moving interstate, I ask ‘Why?’. Yet another friend will excitedly share a new curriculum to use with their child and I’ll ask, ‘Why?’. I can’t help myself. I don’t do it deliberately, I promise. I just want to know why. So it was with New Year resolutions. I wanted to know why it was such a common practice. Oh, I used to love that feeling of being able to have a fresh start, a blank slate to begin again with but then I truly realised that every day is a new day. There isn’t anything special or empowering about a New Year resolution or any other goal for that matter. About 3000 years ago, the Ancient Babylonians were in the practice of making a New Year resolution. (There truly is nothing new under the sun eh? 🙄 ) I’m not sure I need to model myself after them!

So, why make a resolution? I guess people practice it because of that clean, fresh start feeling. But I’m reminded time and time again that every day is a new day. I don’t have to wait until next week, next term or next year to work to a goal. I can start tomorrow.

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

My motivation is the important matter in setting goals or resolutions. If God is at the centre then I’ll have greater chance f success. For God’s sovereign will comes into the picture even as a homeschooling mum! If my goal is in accordance with His will, and His will is what I most desire then He will enable me to fulfill that goal…giving me strength as I work through with (learning) diligence.

I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

While I don’t do New Year resolutions, I do practice goal setting. This can and should be done regularly, at all times of the year. For me, it is about setting a goal – breaking it into manageable, attainable, smaller steps with frequent evaluation and assessment. This just becomes a part of life- a natural part of life. Years ago, I taught ‘Miss A’ about goal setting, within the context of her chosen sport. She took the principles, applied them and achieved success. So much so, that she is now a better and more efficient goal setter than I am, in every aspect of her life! Now, that’s real life learning!

Goal setting steps

Firstly, I pray and ask God for wisdom (James 1:5)
Then, I’ll pray (again without ceasing) and ask God for practical steps to fulfilling those goals and breaking them into manageable, little bit by little bit, steps.
Pro actively set out to attain the manageable steps, setting in place measures whereby I can be accountable, all the while relying on His strength.
Thank Him for any success and failure. When I achieve success, be sure to give God the glory and keep an open heart to Him so that I may be humble and not grow in pride. Sure, but what about giving thanks in failure? What? Why give thanks in failing? Oh I am so thankful that our Father has promised to accept all who believe, regardless of their worthiness. John 6:40 I am thankful that when I fail or lose it or don’t achieve my goals, I am thankful that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

I really liked Leonie’s thoughts about motto’s and themes. (Teehee, she does these but not goals! My, how different we all are 😀 ) I would have to agree with her- at least for my life. I have had themes. I remember a few years ago a theme for me was, Bloom Where You Are Planted. It was just after another interstate move that I didn’t want. I spent a good part of the year sulking and complaining, hibernating from everyone. Until I learned that I need to “Bloom Where I am Planted”! That became my catch-cry for the next year- on until the next move interstate. Another year my theme was “Just Do it!“. I had spent years trying to learn and practice a new method of Bible study…after after it all I found the easiest way was to Just Do It! I’ll figure the finer details out once I start doing it. This past year I guess my theme was Fit n 40.

Unlike Leonie though, I don’t really develop my themes in advance. (Bravo to Leonie for being so gung-ho and proactive though. She has more energy than I do.) I’ll have to wait a little while until this year happens to see what my motto or theme will be, although I strongly suspect I have already written of two themes in this post! If you read my blog regularly you’ll probably pick up on it yourself.

Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
Psalm 37:5-6

So what about you? Do you make New Year resolutions? If so, why? Do they work for you? If so, to what do you credit with your success? Maybe you don’t do goals or resolutions- I’d love to hear from you too! Share with me what works for you.

Overview of December's Posts

Each month I’m going to write an overview of all my posts for each month. I’ll post them in the category “Overview of Monthly Posts” I won’t go back and do this for posts in the past, but it’s something I will in the future.I’ll start by listing the posts at the beginning of each month.

HOW Weekly Book Giveaway is where Robin from Heart of Wisdom details how to be in the running for a free book!
Activity Sheets is a post I wrote where you can download a free printable chart based on the anagram “IDEA” which will give you tools fo ryou to use in your homeschool.
What’s a blog and why are they popular? is a post where I lined to a video visual that informs about the nature of blogging.
First Job, Resumes and all that is where I wrote about the process of my teen daughters getting their part time jobs, tax file numbers, bank accounts, etc.
Teaching Character was written partly as a response to a comment that I received from another post. The reader had asked me to clarify soemthing I had written about not using the Bible to teach character to my children.
Run, don’t walk…HOW is having a 50% off ebook sale.
The last 10 years of Home Education in Australia as seen through my eyes. Be sure to read the comments.
Dreamworld Narration from my 10yods
Dreamworld Narration from my 12yods
Whew, I think it worked was written after we successfully changed Internet hosts…after many headaches for my dh.
Spontaneous Lessons and Matters of the Heart was penned as I was reminded to put aside the hustle and bustle of daily ‘urgencies’ to truly minister to the needs of my children.
Bit’s in Pieces was just a bit of catching up.
More on Prodigal Children was written as I ruminated on some of the Kings of Israel, their children and being raised in a non- Christian home. It makes reference to this previous post, which is worth reading for the comments.
A Busy Homeschool Mum was my remembering that I need to focus on the Lord God and His glory, His majesty, His grace and let the rest fall into place.
Music and Art in our Home was originally written in 2003. It was previously written on my website (not blopg) but I”m slowly trying to clean the place up so thought I’d move it here.
Our scope and sequence for studying World History.
Geography in our home was also written previously and so I thought I’d move it here to the blog.
Curriculum Planning was a post that I wrote about planning homeschool schedules using my 4R’s: pray, to ponder, peruse and plan.

Feel free to leave a comment. You can also subscribe to receive email notification of any comments made. Don’t forget to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts!

If you are looking for a previous, you can use the drop down box, located at the top of each post or use the search engine located in the right had side bar. You can also peruse the Article page where many of the posts that I enjoyed writing or have received most comments will be filed. You can find this at the top left hand sidebar, along with the page of Archives that are grouped by months.

Clean house, quiet time and the dratted phone

But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
1 Corinthians 14:40

Ah, the house is perfectly clean and tidy-everything is organised and in its place. I was able to sit down this morning for 15 minutes with a freshly brewed cup of decaf tea and a good book. Wow, it is an amazing feeling! One that I don’t have very often at all. Firstly I hear you ask, how did my house get so clean and tidy and…this is the biggie for me, a paper hoarder, so organised? Well, it is only ‘Miss A’ and I’m home at the moment. John and the three younger children have gone to South Australia for a holiday and to catch up with family. ‘Miss A’ has a time of intense training session in the lead up to the U/19 National Softball Tournament so she couldn’t go to Adelaide. She also doesn’t have her P’s yet so can’t drive herself so the easiest and best way around it all was for the both of us to stay at home. The first two days of our ‘holiday’ were spent cleaning- and I mean really cleaning, home cleaning is a big deal for me! We wanted to get the house ship-shape and see how clean and tidy it would stay with only the two of us in it, seeing that we both like neatness. we spent yesterday in and out of the house, tending to various appointments. ‘Miss A’ went to work this morning which left me all alone. To have some much desired quiet time. Would you believe I couldn’t quite figure out what to do? 🙄 Should I have some quiet Internet time and write a post? Listen to an audio sermon? Listen to the DVD conference tape? Do the ironing? Read one of my two new books? Ring a friend? I decided to start off by reading for an hour so I brewed a nice hot cuppa and sat down. About 8 minutes into the book and the phone rang! It was a call for ‘Miss A’ so I took the message, called ‘Miss A’ at work and passed on the message. I sat down again, wiggled into my recliner and got comfy, for all of 3 minutes. The phone rang again! It was hubby and the children! Oh, he wanted me to hop on the Internet and run some errands for him online…which took about 1 whole hour. While I was on the phone with him, the landline rang and it was a business call for John, which I managed to liase with John on the other line. Whew, both calls ended but in the meantime I had a message left on the answering machine. So, I called my friend. Then, I sat back down to read. The phone rang again. It was John, my darling husband, again. ❗ Some more online errands. After that I decided to forget the book and anything else as it was now the time that I had penciled in to cook a hot lunch for ‘Miss A’ and I. I thought that by cooking our usual amount of Agnolotti, we’d be able to have it for a few meals. No sooner had I started gathering supplies from the fridge when …you guessed it, the phone rang! This time is was my dear Dad so I spent some time, while cooking lunch, talking to him. I have approximately 30min before I go to get ‘Miss A’ . What do I do with that time? Sit down to write a post. Of course.

After getting my study and home semi organised I’ve had some time to reflect on my own nature. What am I so often disorganised? Does it really make a great difference to my life? In one sense, I’m not totally convinced that being organised really makes a great difference to my life. The upside of my nature is that I can be flexible, adaptable, spontaneous, fun and relaxed. But there is a downside- I can’t find important papers when I need them…can’t remember what groceries we need, where I put things or important dates…the list goes on. 😕

When we were first married and BC (Before Children), my home was very ordered. I lined up herbs and spices in alphabetical order! I ironed tea towels and pillow slips. I vacuumed daily, even though it was quite unnecessary. I can tend to have perfectionist tendencies. But as time went by, and more children graced the halls of our home, the organisational side of me went walkabout. I think, I hope, I’m starting to find her again. Occasionally she peeps out in times like this. Times when I have five minutes to breathe and tackle the house with no children or husband in it. (Mind you, it’s a very quiet and lonely house right now too). One of the downsides ofhaving perfectionist tendencies is that I used to think if a job was worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Right? I mean, lots of good books tell us that eh? But for me it means that if I don’t have time to do it completely or 100% then I won’t do it at all, until I can do it 100%. Subsequently, many things get left undone because of this. I am learning that just a quick clean up is okay…that not everything has to be perfect. The bench can have a quick wipe until I get to scrub and disinfect it properly.

So, I will continue to strive, without beating myself up over it, for that so-far elusive state called organisation or being organised for longer than 2 days. It started to happen in my heart last year when we had to move house again. I remember writing about decorating with a minimalist style. Well, while we haven’t quite done that, we still have MANY boxes in our shed that we just haven’t, and won’t, unpack in this house. I thought I’d miss things but I’ve found that the house is so much easier to keep clean and tidy and organised when there is less stuff in it! (Doh!) We have de-cluttered and re-organised, filed and thrown out all the things we needed to. And it feels good. I still want to be flexible and spontaneous but I want to be organised. I want to reflect that orderly part of God.

I’m aiming to keep thing simple (KISS principle)
Use my body clock to my advantage. Do the most difficult or undesirable jobs when I’m most alert.
Learning to multi-task more.

What about you? What helps you in your quest to be organised?

What exactly does organisation mean to you? Not what you think it means? Not what your best friend means? Not what other homeschoolers mean? But what does organisation mean to you? You see, God is a God of order. He, as the Creator, created a world that is so full of order. The earth/universe is an incredibly efficient world. There is a certain serene calm around organised people, isn’t there. Do you think it’s possible to be calm and serene in one’s heart yet still not be able to find your needed documents? Or do those things go hand-in-hand?

What Is Your Theological Worldview?

Well, I’m not sure…I’d like to see the other responses but I’d love to hear what you rated as. Drop me a line if you do the quiz.

What’s your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/WesleyanYou are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God’s grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists.

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan

71%

Reformed Evangelical

71%

Neo orthodox

61%

Fundamentalist

57%

Charismatic/Pentecostal

46%

Emergent/Postmodern

39%

Roman Catholic

32%

Classical Liberal

32%

Modern Liberal

18%

Curriculum Planning

I’m going to stay with my 4 P’s: to pray, to ponder, peruse and plan. I tend to do that same thing each year- so why does the appearance of what we do always change? Because learning at home adventure is not static- because one size does not fit all, because each of my children are unique in their needs and interests, passions and gifts.

The 4 P’s

When planning the curriculum for each child, I have learned that the best way for me is [what I call] the 4 P’s: to pray, to ponder, peruse and plan. I tend to do that same thing each year- so why does the appearance of what we do always change? Because learning at home adventure is not static- because one size does not fit all, because each of my children are unique in their needs and interests, passions and gifts.

A few years ago, I loosely planned out the years for each of the children until they are 16years old. It was a very loose plan with lots of room for delights, interests and purposes. I then broke that down into the various years. Oh, this took a real weight off my shoulders! It is only a rough plan. It is very loose and fluid and can be modified and manipulated as needs either change or become apparent. We still use Real Life as much of our curriculum as we can. It is a great teacher and facilitator!

The 4P’s in More Detail

Pray

We need to prayerfully consider what we need to teach our children and what we need to put before them. I know that I have had to let go of many of my plans, my ideals in order to truly see the needs of each child. I have to let go and ask myself what I want my child to know and why I want them to learn it. (And for WHOSE glory or purpose?) Then after that, if I still have the go-ahead, I can look at the when, where and how to go about it.

Commit your homeschool plans to God. He cares! He has a plan and a purpose for you and for each of your children. So it makes sense to consult Him and find out what He wants.

Ponder

If you have time and inclination, now is a good time to undertake your own little bit of study and research the history of education. This will help you to see the why, where and how of education, thus allowing you to develop your own scope and sequence for each child. Do you know that each child has their own built-in scope and sequence? Yes, as much as ‘reformed schoolies‘ (people like me who were educated in the school system) have brought their children home to escape the cookie-cutter mentality, we can sometimes skip back into it by blindly accepting other people’s advice and knowledge. Do you follow a book or methodology for your scope and sequence? If so , why? Have you ever really looked at why you do what you do? If not, now is a good time to do so…all the while having a mind of ceaseless prayer. (I’m not saying it is wrong to follow another scope and sequence only that you should know why you do what you do).

Recognise and accept that there will never be a perfect curriculum, a perfect schedule or a perfect routine. Thus, there will probably never be a perfect homeschool year! Observe your child.

There are many things to consider when pondering the curriculum needs of your child. Here are a few that might help you:

Is the child able to be self governed?
How are their organisation skills?
Life skills?
Relationship skills?
Character maturity?
Academic skills and ability?
Spiritual, emotional, mental and physical development?
What are their primary learning styles? (Auditory, Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners, Visual Learners)
What is your primary teaching style? (workbooks, discussion, hands-on, minimal or maximum involvement?)
How do they prefer to express themselves within the learning process?

Peruse and Purchase

Now it’s time to ask questions, read reviews, look at websites and as much curricula as you feel necessary, according to your answers above. You may want to consider curriculum and resources that fit in with the answers above (this will be an individual process for each child.) Here are some questions you might like to consider while looking at each resource:

Grade level designed for:
Approximate price:
Illustrations
Copyright information
Consider resale value
Teaching Approach and Learning Style

and further:

Do I really need a curriculum to teach this subject?
Is the course content and worldview presented that which fits our goals?
Religious, secular, or multi-use, amount of religion in each subject.
Is the approach (mastery, spiral, unit study, hands on) appropriate?
Is it consumable, workbook, software, hardcover, softcover, spiral?
Teacher’s guide/key necessary or not? Tests available? Necessary?
Is it teacher led or done independently by the student?
How much teacher preparation is involved?
How complicated is it to use?
What attracts me to this curriculum? Content? Usability? Packaging?
Have I read various reviews on it? Positive and not-so-positive reports?
Does the nature of it appeal to my child?

Remember that the curriculum is just a tool. You are the best teacher for your child- not a curriculum package. It is a tool, a device, a helper to assist you in the teaching of your child.

Planning

After praying, pondering and now perusing, you will probably have made your purchases. The next step is planning. Schedules on paper can look good but often aren’t flexible or reasonable enough to work for many homeschooling families. They may look good in that “Teacher Planning Binder” but ask yourself if that is what your goal is…or is it something more?

I am good at planning and making schedules. I am not good at seeing them through! After years of making elaborate plans and beautiful schedules (on paper) I slowly started to see that I was expecting too much ‘busy-work’ from the children…that I was either copying other people’s family ways or trying to emulate what I knew (in school). Neither was working for us! I was also expecting way too much from them! It wasn’t until I recognised, accepted and embraced the notion of *seasons* that homeschooling became less tedious and more joyous. I now had time and energy to do the things that I wanted to do – real life learning-at-home, movies and discussions, Bible study, etc as I wasn’t covering the same old ground year after year.

Nowadays, my plans are very loose and flexible, which allows for real life. It also allows for us to be spontaneous and take advantage of every learning opportunity that arises.

One year, a Monet Exhibition was touring Australia and they were at the Art Gallery in our city. I was able to plan a mini unit on Claude Monet so that the children were familiar with his works when we went to the gallery to see the real life works. I’ve also incorporated mini units (which often means nothing more than reading a good book, watching a movie or documentary and discussing it) on Australian Studies, Current Events, World History, Geography, Science topics and births, deaths, funerals, and other real life topics.

I’ve also learned that it is easier to keep records of what we have done, rather than what we plan to do. Although it sounds obvious it did take me awhile to really figure it out though. Yes, it is far easier to simply and quickly record the day’s learning opportunities into a lined exercise book than look back over a years worth of plans to remember what we did and didn’t do.

Over planning also contributed to making me feel like a failure. Term after term, year after year I failed to achieve my plan. I would be motivated and inspired in the new year, compose a new plan and off I’d go- until the next real life out-of-my-control circumstance hit me and then I’d go down in a heap again. I like to aim high, but the goal must also be achievable, and reasonable and flexible.

Start with the End in Mind

What do I want to have covered with my children by the time they are 18? Pencil in the basic skills and possible resources and work backwards from there.

I now do not expect each child to do World History studies in 4 year rotational cycles. Oh it might look good (in that Teacher Binder) at the end of their formal education at home but is it necessary? Why study history? To learn about the story of God’s people and see His plan and purpose throughout mankind. So then, how should I study? When should this be studied? And what resources should we use? I have found that providing regular access to very good books and movies and doing some informal thematic studies throughout the year do as much toward teaching my younger children the scope of world history than following a full 4 year course! (See our scope and sequence for studying history in our home) The same can be said for teaching grammar. Why teach it? Does it need to be taught in a spiral manner (touching on a little bit every year) or can it be grasped by copywork/dictation, exposure to fine literature, and a solid focus time when the children are a little older? I have found that to be true! So, I don’t teach much grammar in the early-middle years!

We don’t learn about some topics all year round. It just doesn’t flow for us! For instance, I have difficulty trying to do Australian and world history at the concurrently. So why should I? I can take time off from studying world history to spend on Australian studies. That’s fine. So why can’t I do the same with other subject areas? Well, we do! My science-loving son doesn’t study science all year round. I will give him focussed times of learning about science, and when he has completed that course of study, we put science on the back-burner and focus on other topics. Of course, we still continue to learn about science all the time, but not in a formal way- in ways that incorporated into our life.

Not every page in every book needs to be read or covered- if using traditional workbooks then much of it is repetitive. Look over it and see what your child needs to cover- don’t just hand them the book and tell them to do it.

I try to put a smorgasbord of worthwhile, beautiful and noble things before my children, especially in the younger-upper elementary years. I want to give them a taste of a wide variety of things. By the time they are a little older, I have, hopefully, been able to discern their interests, gifts and passions so I won’t require their focussed attention on an area that is not in line with their interest. This doesn’t mean that I put it away all together though! For instance, my eldest daughter, never really like art or picture study. She liked going to the Art Gallery but that was because she thought we might go to Macca’s afterward! She is also not accomplished at playing an instrument, but that never stopped me from exposing her to fine music and art. I continued to do so but in a gentle, discreet way. I did not require her to do these subjects as part of her homeschool study. However. that little girl has grown to be a 17yo young lady who likes modern opera, classical music, various styles of art and a range of other fine arts. I would never have thought so! But being an accomplished musician or artist is not the same as being able to respect and appreciate the finer, beautiful things in life.

So, while the children are young expose them to a wide variety of good and noble topics. Let them linger over them for awhile, soaking in the beauty, all the while studying it, although unbeknownst to them. As they mature if they show an interest or an aptitude for that area then by all means go back over the ‘pray, ponder and peruse‘ stages to facilitate their further learning. If they don’t show an interest in it, don’t stress. Not everyone can be a musician or a sculptor. But continue to expose them to these fine arts, in a gentle way. The best way is to do these things as a family. Don’t force them to listen to music- take them to a production or a musical!

Enjoy life with your children!

Scheduling

There are many ways to plan- break the book into term sections, then by month and then by weeks then by days. Voila! You can split the year into semesters, or terms…even then in a 10 week term you can do a focussed course for 5 weeks and then another course for the remaining 5 weeks of a term. Many homeshcoolers don’t follow a 4 term, 10 week on/2 week off pattern. It just doesn’t fit with a full time homeschooling family in many instances. Look at your own life,:see the patterns and rhythms to your family year. What do you think will work for you? Experiment with it. Try 4-5 weeks on and 1 week off or 5 weeks. Maybe go for 10 weeks but aim for 4 days of formal academics! (we aim to do formal lessons 4 days per week)

This is your family, this is your life, and this is your schedule. Use your schedule as your tool and always be on the watch so that you don’t skip into the bad habit of becoming a slave to the schedule. That is one sure way to kill of a spark of curiosity and dampen a love of learning. It’s more important that you spend time with your children than making plans that may or may not eventuate.

On the hard days, the bad days, go back to your goal and focus on that. Be prepared to just throw the books in for the day and concentrate on the most important thing. It is worth it! If your goal is to instil a love of learning in your child, then making him do every page in every book, every day of the week is probably not going to help you attain your goal. Learn to look outside the box and see real life as learning. Look for ways to turn everyday activities into learning opportunities.

Focus on your priority goals and be surprised at results. Every lesson that you learn along the way should be shared with your children. They will learn along with you, and these life lessons are the most important. This allows for births, deaths, marriages and all those other real life circumstances that will interfere with your lovely homeschool plans! But, they are most important- for they are real. Know your goals. Know your limitations. Know that God is in control.

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.< /br>
By Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

Geography the HomeGrownKids Way

I’ve found that much of our history and science study also ties in with the study of geography.

We have a rather relaxed approach to geography. (No surprises there eh?) Firstly, we learn about people in other lands. And then we learn about man’s discovery of that world and that of discovery of the new lands. Children love to trace maps and the early years can be a great time to start this. We have often placed a plastic sheet as a tablecloth over our table and we put either a large wall map of Australia, the World or the country that we are studying under it. We still have this now, in our study area. The children have learned heaps from it.

We have enjoyed a few books like, “Exploring the World Around Us” and “Planet Earth” both by John Tiner. Often biographies teach us a lot about different cultures. Sonlight Core 5 is excellent as a launchpad for a study of Eastern hemisphere countries…as are the Evan-Moor guides. Each of my children will do a continent/major country thematic study before they finish their formal education at home.

Around the World in 180 Days” by Sherri Payne is a multi-age, research based unit study which studies the world by continent.

A friend, Ruth, (who has a wonderful site) has a plan for the study of geography.

We started a new unit with geography using a book called, “Trail Guide to World Geography“. We also have and use “The Ultimate Timeline and World Geography Guide“, which is an excellent resource! I’m also reading to the children from a book called, “Global Geography” by M. Finkelstein while the children do notebooking and mapping activities to add to their geography binder. Runkle Geography is another excellent resource, which we haven’t gotten around to using yet. Gosh, a homeschool mum can’t do everything!!! 😉
We’ve also read “A Child’s Geography” by V.M. Hillyer but my children have enjoyed a homeschooler’s fresh writing on the subject. Another good book is called “A Book of Marvels” by Richard Halliburton. The boys enjoy that!

Anne is writing “A Living Geography Online for Children – and God’s Glory” and the first few chapters are available on her blog. If you like what you see, email her and she will send you the remaining chapters via email. Truly wonderful!
My children, especially the boys have learned a lot from various well written books such as the series written by Willard Price. Great source of geography, nature study, character, adventure and science wrapped up in a fairly easy-to-read, enthralling mystery for boys.

There are always so many resources – too many to choose from. If I could have my time over again, I’d evaluate the resources carefully, assess the needs of my children, articulate exactly what I want the children to know and then make a purchase. In hindsight I have done too much of many things and not much of it in depth. But, I live and learn.

History – Scope and Sequence

HomeGrownKid’s Scope & Sequence for World History

Birth to age 9 ( birth -G4)
Old Testament History (Egypt, Israel, Mesopotamia) then Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece, Middle Ages, Reformation & Renaissance, …. with read-a-louds. Use the Bible and Bible stories and easy (but not twaddle) biographies, fiction, and use drama, drawing, colouring in and other hands-on activities. Learn the basics of the different cultures. Use booklist from Heart of Wisdom.

Age 10-13 or (G5 – G8)
Review the same cycle but in greater depth. Discuss the possible world-views of people groups and major characters.
Use the Bible, stories and related works, deeper biographies, historical fiction, plays etc not necessarily in chronological order – the time-line or Book of Centuries will tie things in for the student. Books like “Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World” or the “Usborne World history” books are always a hit! Use the booklist from Heart of Wisdom.

Age 14 through 17-18 or (G9 – 12)
Time to tie things all together using a chronological and narrative approach. Possible books to use would be:

“Picturesque Tale of Progress” by Olive Beaupre Miller,
“A Brief Story of the World” by Niver,
“Streams of Civilisation”,
“Western Civilisation” by J. Spielvogel
Diana Waring Guides
Sonlight History Core
“TruthQuest History Guides” or
“Exploring World History” by Ray Notgrass.
Consider biographies, historical fiction and primary sources. Pay particular attention to discussing thoughts and ideas, updating the time-line or Book of Centuries. Tie all studies in with a Book of Centuries (Timeline), good books, and a Kingfisher or Usborne type History Encyclopedia. Use the booklist from Heart of Wisdom.

Music and Art the HomeGrownKids Way

(originally written in 2003)

Music

We enjoy all styles of music from Colin Buchanan to Tchaikovsky, from Charlotte Church (Voice of an Angel) to the Military Bagpipes. We have studied Beethoven, Handel, and Mozart; Hymns, Choruses, Folk Songs, and all other forms of music. We have used book by Ann Rachlin, “The Famous Children” series and the “World Greatest Composer’s” by Mike Venezia. I use “Spiritual Lives of the Great Composers” by Patrick Kavanaugh.

Music links to help with your music appreciation lessons:

“Alice in Orchestralia” is but another “Alice in Wonderland,” for the author takes us in delightful fashion into the heart of that most wondrous land of all – the land of music.
Opal wheeler unit study and The Great Musicians Biography Series Unit studies
Classics for Kids is a great site for parents and children! Do check it out.
A fun site where children can learn about musicians, music terms, compose music, and all sorts of great musical activities.
Compose music, play music-related games, and solve puzzles.
A fun story detailing the life of Mozart.
Wolfgang Amade Mozart ~ site for the whole family.
My Sheet Music — Good sheet music site on the web, includes free classical music, children’s songs, ragtime pieces, and traditional hymns, as well as free lesson plans and teaching resources. Free, but you do have to sign up.
Interdisciplinary music lesson plans.
Composers and their compositions

Art

We have learned about some artists such as, Albrecht Durer, Mary Cassatt, Caravaggio and Albert Namitjirra and also enjoyed doing some picture studies by various artists.

Art links to help with your art appreciation lessons:

Famous Paintings for students!
Units or activities that correspond with the books by Mike Venezia~Getting to know the World’s Greatest Artists…
Art sology ~ online games that serve as a gateway or springboard to further investigation and enjoyment of the arts.
Art Sparkers ~ new and innovative ways to express yourself artistically.
Timeline of Art History
Portrait Detectives~ learn about art history through the study of portraits
Art History: Resources On The Web
National Art Gallery: Kids
Puppetry~ all things Puppetry.
The Renaissance Collection ~ interactive site devoted to the art, architecture and learning that occurred from about 1400-1600 A.D.that transitioned humans from medieval to modern times.
Meet the Painters ~ This website provides a quick and easy way to introduce kids to a variety of well known painters.
More Than Math ~ A fascinating and fun web site that integrates art and math. Includes activities and an art gallery
The Web Museum – a great site with artist biographies, art history lessons, and more!
Help A. Pintura, Art Detective, solve his cases.
Australian Artists
The Incredible Art Department — free lesson plans and activities for all ages
The Getty’s Art Education Web Site — free lesson plans & unit studies by grade level
The Elements of Art Through Photography 5th grade lesson plan–from Kodak.
A History of Photography
Art High School Lesson Plans!
Art Lesson Plans

Colouring Pages

There are so many colouring books to be found online that I’d be here all day trying to list them. Usually a google search will find you what you need. See also:

Jan Brett Pages
Jim Arnosky colouring book
Dover Coloring books will send you monthly emails, with links to free samples of their books.

**I take no responsibility for the content on any pages that are linked from this site. At the time of publishing, all links are correct and *family-safe* but due to the ever changing nature of the Internet, I cannot guarantee that they remain that way. Parents should always supervise their children’s Internet viewing.

Are You Too Busy?

clipped from www.oldtruth.com

Perhaps the greatest danger confronting the Church and Christian people today, is that instead of realizing that the supreme need of the moment is this knowledge of the love of Christ, we spend our time and energy in organizing activities. We have made of activity an end in itself. We say we must be ‘getting busy’. And in a carnal manner we are attempting to do God’s work. But how little happens! It is not surprising. We are forgetting the true motive and the energizing power. We should not work as Christians simply because it is good and right for Christians to work. The motive is all-important. We must work because of the love of Christ. We must not work because we decide to do so or because we are told that now we are converted we must ‘get busy’.

I was reading the blog post over at OldTruth when this passage hit me. I would say this is not only true for the Church but for us, as homeschooling parents, mothers.

Perhaps the greatest danger confronting Christian homeschooling parents today is that instead of realising that the supreme need of the moment is this knowledge of the love of Christ, we spend our time in organising activities. I know I have been guilty of this at times.

We can make activity an end in itself. We purport this myth that we ‘must be busy’ and in a carnal manner we are attempting to do God’s work. But we struggle. We don’t seem to progress anywhere, which is not surprising. we can forget the true motive of why we decided to teach our children at home. We should not homeschool or spend time with our children just because it is good and right but because the love of Christ compels us.

Oh we can be so busy, rushing here and there, organising one activity after another, loading ourselves and our children up with a hectic academic schedule when sometimes we need to rekindle our first love- Jesus Christ. Take time to slow down and spend time in God’s word…letting it soak into your heart and mind. As the New Year approaches and many of us are busy planning the children’s curricula and schedules, don’t forget the most important thing – don’t do it FOR Christ…rather focus on Him and His glory, His majesty, His grace and let the rest fall into place.

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