CHRISTmas

We talk glibly of the "Christmas spirit," rarely meaning more by this than sentimental jollity on a family basis. But...the phrase should in fact carry a tremendous weight of meaning. It ought to mean the reproducing of human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all the year round.
J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Merry CHRISTmas!!!!

Excerpt from Tree in the Trail by Holling C Holling

The Tree in the story has lived a long life and when a twister destroys it, it is made into a yoke.

'Seems funny not to see her spreadin' above us, don't it?" said Jed. 'But if a tree could think, I'll bet she's mighty glad to be a yoke, swingin' along, tinklin' pretty. That tree was too held down. Always pointin' as if she wanted to follow us on the Trail (Santa Fe Trail). Now she can go beyond her hill, away out yonder-- father than she ever dreamed.

Maybe it's that way with people, sort of. They git rooted down, too. Along comes some disaster, or what looks like it, an' they feel lost. But, maybe, if they only knew-- all that's happened to 'em is that they've been freed. Freed to go farther than they ever thought. Maybe they's bells waitin' for them, too. Bells that will tinkle inside 'em somewhere...'

Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ Ch 3

"Happy is he whom truth by itself doth teach, not by figures and words that pass away; but as it is in itself (Psalm 94:12).

Our own opinion and our own sense do often deceive us, and they discern but little...It is folly to neglect the things that are profitable and necessary, and give our minds to that which is curious and hurtful: we have eyes and see not.

...Who hinders and troubles thee more than the unfortified affections of thine own heart?

...This ought to be our endeavor, to conquer ourselves, and daily wax stronger and to make a further growth in holiness. All perfection in this life hath some imperfection mixed with it; and no knowledge of ours is without some darkness."

Great Version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears

We discovered a treasure already in our home library! We just read Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Retold and Illustrated by John Patience from the Once Upon a Storytime Series. It is definitely THE best telling of this story I have ever read or heard!

First of all, for you living book lovers out there, it is told in great story telling language (no twaddle here!!) The story tells of how Goldilock's mother told her to stay in the meadow and never go in the woods. However, Goldilocks grows bored in the meadow one day and decides to explore the woods any way, even being careful to see if her mother is watching first. Well, this comes be a regret she will never forget after all she encounters!

Our local library does not seem to have any of John's books. Use this link to the authors website to find them on Abe Books http://www.patience.co.uk/john/fairy.shtml
ENJOY! PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK IF YOU LIKE THEM TOO!!!!

Edges of His Ways, November 5

Gather my thoughts, good Lord, they fitful roam
Like children bent on foolish wandering,
Or vanity of fruitless wayfaring--
O call them home.

See them, they drift like the wind-scattered foam;
Like wild sea-birds, the hither, thither fly,
And some sink low, and others soar too high--
O call them home.

Wherever, Lord, beneath the wide blue dome
They wander, in Thy patience find them there:
That undistracted I may go to prayer--
O call them home.

.

Edges of His Ways, November 4

In St. Augustine's words: "To Him Who is everywhere, men come, not by traveling, but by loving."

And Amy Carmichael writes:

It is not far to go for Thou art near,
It is not far to go for Thou art here;

And not by traveling, Lord, men come to Thee,
But by the way of love, and we love Thee.

Children of the New Forest

Another book I have had on the shelf to read is Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat. This is also a historical fiction book (seeing a theme here?) set during the English Civil War.

When Colonel Beverly is killed in battle, his four orphaned children are rescuded from their manor withing hours before it is burned to the ground. Their rescuer and loyal servant Jacob Armitage , a skilled woodsman from the New Forest teaches them to survive and live off the land. They become quite self sufficient. The eldest son Edward, though, has been trained to follow in his father's footsteps and is restless until opportunity arises to aide King Charles II back to the throne, thus restoring his family to their rightful place in society.

The story is rich in farming and nature as well as how these children and others around them learn to depend on the Lord and His Word to guide them.

Michael Phillips Shenandoah Series

I have been sick for two weeks with bronchitis. During the first week I was in the bed so I stayed sane by reading lots of good books. I have a new Christian historical fiction author that I really really enjoyed!

I read Michael Phillips Shenandoah Series. Our local library has a lot of his books. Below are the titles in the series:

Shenandoah (2002-2004)
Angels Watching Over Me, 2002
A Day To Pick Your Own Cotton, 2003
The Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of Your Heart, 2003
Together Is All We Need, 2004

This series is about two young girls near Charlotte, NC during and after the Civil War. One girl is the daughter of a plantation owner, the other the daughter of slaves on a nearby plantation. The girls come together when the Bilsby Marauders tear through their county and others murdering anyone in their path, black and white alike.

Through immense tragedy, these two girls teach each other how to survive, each bringing different strengths from the lives that were ripped away. It is a beautiful story of God's love for us and how we should (but often fail) to love others.

Understood Betsy

One of the Ambleside Online books we are reading this year is Understood Betsy. All of the boys have been enjoying it!!

Elizabeth Ann (Betsy) is a nine year old girl. Her parents had died and she was left to be raised by her aunts. In the aunts' home every need and detail is handled for Betsy. She fears what they fear (especially dogs), and her every move is planned for her. However, when the older aunt suddenly gets a serious cough and the doctor sends them away, Betsy ends up with "the bad cousins".

Betsy's life takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly she must think for herself and help care for herself and contribute to the household. They even have A DOG!!!

We've almost cheered for Betsy with each new discovery! This is a great story for any age!!

Fireproof!!!!!! Go see it!!!

We went out last weekend with some friends to see Fireproof. This is definitely a must see for all adults!!! I enjoyed the story, the acting and the lessons from beginning to end. This comes from the maker of Facing the Giants and Fly Wheel.

Here is a preview!!

A Sense of Place

I have spoken often of Amber's talk from the 2007 Childlight Conference. She spoke on A Sense of Place. Her words have come back to me many times....in essence, be where you are...fully be there!!! If God has placed us there, and of course he has, then we should be involved and "know" that place. Well, Tammy Glaser can explain anything, so since it has been awhile for me, I'll share a link to her blog where she narrates Amber's talk....enjoy....

http://aut2bhomeincarolina.blogspot.com/2007/06/sense-of-place.html

Book from the perspective of an Autistic person

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon is written from the perspective of a young boy with Autism.

Christopher is a 15 year old boy. He finds his neighbors dog murdered and ends up in jail. He decides he must solve the murder case himself. I was fascinated to watch his simple and logical approach to solving the murder as well as facing his difficulties with the world around him.

I would recommend this book for adults only due to the language especially. I do believe it is quite valuable in seeing into the mind and ways of persons on the Spectrum. It was helpful to me to watch what went through his mind as well as how he coped when he experienced sensory overload. The ideas would of course not be the same for every person, but perhaps the pattern helps us understand.

Loving someone on the Spectrum myself, I was drawn into the world of Christopher. I am glad I met him.

I would love to find some one on the Autistic Spectrum's opinion of this book.

Charlotte Mason Inspired Reading Lessons...one more thing

I have also had the thought that after a older child has the hang of it and the reading begins to get easier, you could cut the punctuation out separate and incorporate that too!!

Charlotte Mason Inspired Reading Lessons

A couple of weeks ago I began a new type of reading lesson with my eight yr old who has struggled to learn to read. I read about how Charlotte Mason, who was an educator in the 18 and early 1900's, suggested that parents work with their children to teach them how to read. This can be found in The Original Homeschooling Series - Vol. 1

So, what I will explain is how we have done it, not her words, though it was completely inspired by her words. I must also explain that I do still believe in teaching children to read with phonics, not whole language, however this child has proved to be the exception. He knows his phonics pretty well, we have been working on it for 3 years, however, this has NOT helped HIM become a fluent reader. We also believe he has Asperger's Syndrome, and that me be a contributing factor to his struggle to read.

Ok, so the first thing I did was to pick a poem. He loves poetry and he can be pretty silly, so I chose Where the Sidewalk Ends to pull from, because I thought this would make it more fun for him! He likes a good punch line. The first poem we used was Homemade Boat.

I made five copies of the poem in large type. I separated the title and the first couple of lines and the next sets of lines and put each set into a separate sandwich bag. I labeled them #1, #2....

I then cut each word apart (except for the Title, I leave that all one strip) and put them back in the bag and mixed them. I also prepared a half sheet of construction paper on which to mount a copy at the end of the reading lesson. One more thing I prepared was a spiral book of index cards.

On the BIG DAY, I sat him at the table and spread all the words from bag #1 out on a large plastic lid. I wrote the title of the poem, Homemade Boat, on the dry erase board and while he looked at it, and I told him what it said. Then, he searched for his five copies of the title in his pile. He spread them out on the table as the start of five copies of the poem.

Then, I continued to write one word at a time on the board, telling him the word, him repeating the word and giving him time to find them and place them in the proper order in each of the sets of the poem (we left all of the lines on the white board until we completed the poem and I did every other line in alternating colors to help his concentration).



When he finished the title and first two lines, I took up four of the copies and put them back in the baggie and then we pasted the remaining one onto the half piece of construction paper.

He read what he had completed out loud. Any words that he stumbled on we added to the spiral index cards. Some days, we added other words to the card that were in the same word family. For example, we had the word by, so we added try and my. One day we had cling, so we added bring, sting ect.

The next time, he read over the sight words in our spiral index cards, read the part of the poem that he had finished on the construction paper, then added the next two lines as he had done the previous day. We did this each day until the poem was complete.



We have done three poems now and the impact has been awesome. He can easily read all three of the poems without missing a word. This weekend he pulled out the real book and proudly read all three of the poems to our friend!!!!!!!!!! That is huge for him!

What We are Reading

We are reading lots of new books right now, but none of them will be finished anytime soon. Ambleside Online spreads the readings out over a longer period of time. I think this forces you to take the book in slowly, as opposed to devouring it to get to the bottom of the story and not really taking the time to make connections and a build a relationship with the story.

My Year 2 students are reading:

Our Island Story
The Little Duke
The Little Pilgrim's Progress
Understood Betsy
The Tree in the Trail
Parables from Nature
Tales from Shakespeare
Trial and Triumph
the poetry of Walter De la Mare

Of course they are also reading Exploring Creation with Zoology I, doing math, grammar/reading, spelling ect.

My Year 0 student is different however. We have read all of the books with a star by them in the list on the side of my blog. We have really enjoyed the Billy and Blaze book. We have three of them so far: Billy and Blaze: A Boy and His Pony, Blaze and the Forest Fire and Blaze and Thunderbolt. I am even enjoying their adventures!

I began last year reading to my ds at bedtime. He never wanted me to read to him until I offered to read to him at bedtime. Now, he will not let me miss a night!!! I have noticed a drastic difference in his attention span. He is able to follow the story well! My how much he has grown from our nightly readings.

A New School Year

Our resident bug eater!!!



Well, a new school year has begun, so I've been busy preparing and soaking up the last of summer. We are underway now and enjoying our Ambleside Online readings!!! I have some doing Yr 2 and one doing Lite Yr 7. See the list in the side bar for the books we are reading from these years. I think I've finally come up with schedules that work for everyone. That's all for now except my new nature pics!! So I must get to work now!!! Cheerio!



Charlotte?? (Garden Spider)


DS N's Clay Sunflower!! (Isn't it great!!!)


A river runs through it!!!


Soaking up the last of Summer!

Ahhh!

Apologetics & Outreach by: Jerram Barrs

I am listening to free recordings of a seminary course from Covenant Theological Seminary. Jerram Barrs is the professor teaching about how to witness in a Post-Modern World. You can listen here: http://www.covenantseminary.edu/worldwide/en/CC310/CC310.asp

Also, here is a great review to give an overview of what will be taught:
http://www.joethorn.net/2007/02/21/the-heart-of-evangelism/

Billy and Blaze books

Billy and Blaze: A Boy and His Pony is the first in a series and was written around 1936 by C W Anderson (We've read book two: Blaze and the Forest Fire as well!). There is a feel of the passions of young boys of the era in which this book was written. I can almost hear my father's child voice in Billy.

I enjoyed the simple story, but even more precious to my mother's heart is the depth to which my youngest ds was drawn into this story and begging for more. He wants a horse too, just like Billy.

The other day we were riding in the country and passed some horses of someone my husband worked for years ago. I said, "Look, it's Blaze" and ds son sat up straight straining to see, sorted them out and said, "That one really does look like Blaze, Mommy!"

As a "girl", I often feel inadequate to the task of inspiring my boys to be conquering, passionate men, but I CAN point them to great literature that will!

This is someone else's description:

C.W. Anderson's Billy and Blaze Stories revolve around the adventures of an intrepid young boy who explores the world astride his loyal pony Blaze. These exciting tales of burgeoning independence and exploration, set against the landscape of New England, have been popular entertainment for young readers for more than 50 years.

Silas Marner by: George Eliot

I am going to start reading books that I might use for high school Literature for the kids. I just finished reading Silas Marner and it will definitely be on the list.

Silas Marner is a good natured man enjoying life with his community, his church, his best friend and the woman he loves and is engaged to marry, when his life takes a cruel turn. He is falsely accused of a crime, set up by someone close to him. When the "lots" fall against him he feels, according to his religion, that God has turned his back on him as well. This is one of the saddest parts of the book for me, due to the things I have seen in church, which only prove our sinful nature, not God's character. Unlike the unshaken faith of Job of the Bible, Marner's faith seems to be too closely tied to his religious community than to the Lord, thus his faith is shaken to it's core.

"But you may prosper, for all that: there is no just God that governs the earth righteously, but a God of lies, that bears witness against the innocent."

After he looses his betrothed as well, he looses all hope, and quietly leaves for another country. He lands in Raveloe and for fifteen years keeps to himself as a hermit, with exception to interaction necessary to earn a living by his weaving. The rumors run wild, because no one knows anything about from what country he has come and because they believe the set of his eyes means he is no good.

Marner lives in this condition until one stormy night, his hoards of gold are robbed and he comes outside himself to report the crime to the community. The community is sympathetic to him, searches and inquiries are made, but no one is able to crack the case.

Then on another dark stormy night, a deep dark secret of Godfrey Cass, a member of Raveloe, comes walking in the open door of the weaver. I will leave you curious as to the changes in Marner this brings and the ending of the book, but I will say, that this is a thoughtful and enjoyable read that will lead to much discussion.

Quote

"The happiest of people
don't necessarily
have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything."

Praying God's Will for Your Life By: Stormie Omartian

The Lord has really convicted me of my lack of prayer. It has always been my biggest weakness and my biggest need.

For years he has been implanting Philippians 4:4-8 into my heart, which says,

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
—think about such things.

So, lately, he has helped me see the bigger picture of verses he has given me and I realize how lovingly he has worked to draw me closer to him.

So, I was compelled to read Praying God's Will for Your Life and I started today.

In Chapter one she describes how she came to know the Lord. Then, in chapter 2, she goes into more detail about her own depression and desire to commit suicide. When I was a teenager I experienced this struggle too. I have listened over the years to the comments of those who have never known the pain of this struggle. People say, "You have to be crazy!" ect, ect. But Stormie describes it the best I have ever heard!

At Twenty-eight years old, fourteen years after my suicide attempt, I still felt as if I were down in a dark hole, and I couldn't produce the strength to pick myself up
one more time. Death was again the only solution I could see. I was amazed that
in all those years of struggle my life has still come to nothing.

(I can't leave this topic without sharing that the answer God gave me years later in my life, was Phil 4:4-7. If I had given him everything through prayer and trusted him, he could have guarded my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.)

The thing that spoke to me the most in Chapter 2 this morning, are the two verses from the Bible she quotes on page 15:

"Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people? (Jeremiah 8:22)

And God's answer: "They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me." (Jeremiah 9:3)

Quote

“I long to accomplish great and noble tasks,
but it is my chief duty to accomplish humble tasks
as though they were great and noble.
The world is moved along,
not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes,
but also by the aggregate of the tiny pushes
of each honest worker."
Hellen Keller

"He will be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water..." Psalm 1

August 6: Edges of His Ways

"One night in a dream someone seemed to ask me, 'If you were writing your last note to your children, what would it be about'? And I said, 'It would begin with these words, "Beloved, let us love" (1 John 4:7). And the voice said, 'Write it now'; so I began to write that note, but cannot remember a word of what I wrote except these four words, "Beloved, let us love".

This is not, I think, anywhere near my last note, but even so, I am writing these words for you to-day. Are there any of you out of love? Have any a feeling of unlove about any? Has anyone said anything about another which would hinder prayer, if you and that one were alone together? Is there any least thought of unlove anywhere? O Love of God, search us and see. O Love of God, Thou art Light, search us and see. Cleanse us, prepare us to draw near to Thee, alone or together, unhindered by the least unlove. 'Beloved, let us love'."

August 1: Edges of His Ways

Love through me, Love of God,
There is no love in me;
O Fire of love, light Thou the love
That burns perpetually.

Flow through me, Peace of God,
Calm river flow until
No wind can blow, no current stir
A ripple of self-will.

Shine through me, Joy of God,
Make me like Thy clear air
That Thou dost pour Thy colours through,
As though it were not there.

O blessed Love of God,
That all may taste and see
How good Thou art, once more I pray,
Love through me, even me.

by: Amy Carmichael

Some Beautiful Images from the Cherokee Reservation

These are from the Gardens and the last one if from the bamboo cave in Cherokee! What a beautiful place!

Sabina Wurmbrand

I am studying today about Sabina Wurmbrand, wife of Richard Wurmbrand and founders of Voice of the Martyrs. I knew of them before today, but am sad to say I was ignorant of their story (who ever said ignorance is bliss was wrong!). I am teaching a Missions class at our VBS this week. I picked up a book from VOM I've been wanting to read Hearts of Fire which tells Sabina's story. I also am reading a transcript of a talk she gave entitled In God's Beauty Parlor.

Sabina tells a story from her imprisonment. She said they read from the Bible, because they agreed to let the guards beat them if they could do this.

So we were Christians, but we had among us a lady, one of the riches ladies of Romania. She was not a Christian. She was in prison because her husband had been the political leader of the country. So she listened with us about all these things; about Stephen (ACTS 6:6-15). Then she said, “I wonder about you the Christians, you seem to be intelligent women, but how could you believe that Stephen, standing before his enemies knowing that he would be put to death. How could you believe it that his face could be so beautiful? In what beauty parlor could have he had been in order to have a face like the face of an angel in such a crisis, in such critical moments when he was before death?” A Christian lady answered, “I am sorry for you. You do not know Jesus, the Son of God. But whenever Jesus comes in a heart, he never comes alone, He always comes with all His richness. He comes with His angels. He comes with the glory of heaven and so when you open you heart and Jesus comes in your heart to be your Lord and Savior, He brings His beauty. And so Stephen could be so beautiful like an angel. And while we spoke at once the door opened, the Communist guard came directly to the place where we were gathered under the bed took us out all, gave a hard beating to everyone; bleeding with many hearts he threw us back in the prison cell. But we the Christians we knew what price we had to pay to read the Bible and to pray. But we were afraid for this lady who was not a Christian, how will she react and what would she say. And while were thinking about these things, the first one who came to speak with me was this rich, rich lady who now was poor and hungry bleeding all over the face which was smeared with blood and tears. She said, “Now I know the very fact that the Communists are persecuting the Christians, the very fact that they have beaten us only because we would speak about Jesus, this very fact for me is the best proof, that your God is God indeed. And your Jesus will be also my Jesus the Savor. And she did not know that now her face smeared with blood and with tears, shone and was beautiful like the face of an angel.

Back on!!

Just returned from a wonderful mission trip to Cherokee!! What an incredibily beautiful group of people!!!! Will share as soon as I sleep some!!!!

Out!

Will be out on mission for a little while! I will be back soon!

A little (or a lot) education on BBQ

Blessed are the merciful...

"Once you see the face of God, the world is forever transformed into His features"
~Peter Kreeft

Childlight Conference 2008- Jason Fletcher: The Relational Paradigm of Christianity

I really must get this out before it is lost to me. At the recent Childlight Conference, I really enjoyed a plenary in which Jason Fletcher spoke on The Relational Paradigm of Christianity.
His talk really spoke to the need for us to realize that Relationships are at the center of everything of God: the trinity, his creation and so on. The following are from my notes of his talk.

The rise of social isolation has many roots issues. Some of these issues are: Poor condition of relationships, two income families, longer commutes and television.

We need a relational paradigm!

In the UK he says, they are worried more about people consuming the right things than doing the right things. People are more worried about relative wealth than total wealth (how wealthy they look, not how wealthy they are).

We need to redefine our goals for relationships. Christianity alone is capable. It's world view is relational through and through. God is relational (1 John-WITH GOD-plurality of relations). God never existed in isolation, you can only understand one member of the triune God in relation to the other two. Relating to others means no isolation. It is through others we become persons. If there is no sharing, there is no reality. All persons have relational needs: To be heard, to be wanted. True person hood is realized when we are others centered. In the Godhead we see perfect giving and receiving. The suffering in the absence of this unity is heard in Jesus' separation from God the Father during the Crucifixion "Why have you forsaken me?".

We find fulfillment in God.

It was "not good for Adam to be alone". But when Adam and Eve fell, dependence gave way to independence. Sin is a failure of relationship: To love God and love others. This is the subject of C S Lewis' The Great Divorce. But, still, one day we will see Him FACE TO FACE.

(me: I heard a pastor say recently, "Sin is what we do when are not fully satisfied in God".)

Christian Ethics: The Practical Application

It is about learning to give and receive.

Isaiah 6:6 God says, "I desire mercy more than sacrifice".

Matthew 23:23 Jesus says, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.

Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Matthew 22:36-40 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

God wants us to cultivate STRONG relationships.

How should we think about relationships? Their are two key aspects: Relational values and relational conditions.

Relational values (are all aspects of love)

Loyalty (mercy, steadfast love) mentioned in the Word 242 times. Loyalty spurs on His relationship with Israel.

Righteousness, which is all about fulfilling demands of relationships with others. A righteous leader will provide justice. Each relationship is unique.

Justice is fixing wrongs.

Faithfulness, which again can be seen in His relationship with Israel.

Truthfulness, in our relationships

Mercy/Compassion: Zechariah speaks of "the tender mercy of our God"

Forgiveness: Jesus said we will be forgive as we forgive others. He used the illustration of the unforgiving servant.

Generosity- He is not just loyal, He is generous. Israel was to be generous as well.

Relational Conditions

Directness: (face to face) leads to greatest outcome a relationship. This is not to be confused with non-verbal email/text messaging, which is task oriented, not relational. How do we deal with interruptions? Jesus, when sought to help Jarius' daughter, dropped everything and went. We undervalue children and others by failing to give our full attention. With out face to face relationships, our success is limited.

Continuity: (Time) With out time, the depth to our relationships is limited. Our method of juggling time and lack of quantity of time with our children is at the expense of our relationship with them.

Multiplexity: The breadth of our knowledge about the other person. AVOID ONE DIMENSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS!

Parroting: Relationships must be two-way. There must be mutual respect. We must listen to the opinion of others before offering our decisions.

Commonality: A shared vision! A mom who took up gold just to be with dad.

Charlotte Mason on relationships

She believed children were born persons. Large classes would underplay relationship.

Math-U-See

Well, our collection has grown again. Went to our local Home School book fair and got our student books for the fall! We have from K-9/10 now. All we need are Geometry, Algebra 2 and Stewardship or Pre-Calculas to have the complete works!

We have used Math-U-See since my dd was in the 1st grade. I truely don't know how I would have fared without it. I was a below average math student who somehow managed to pass math class all the way through Calculas in high school (only a credit to a good teacher). But, I have to say, I never really got any of it.

Then when dd started Math-U-See I began to understand why I never got it. Steve Demme says (use to say?) in the intro video that he once read a Calvin and Hobbes in which Calvin tells what he learned in school. Calvin relates a simple addition problem like 2+3. He says something like "2+3=5, I don't know why, but 2+3=5". Steve said the MUS student would know why!! And he is right, we do know why! I have learned so much. I even understand the basic knowledge needed to succeed in Algebra, which I couldn't have explained before MUS!

Steve teaches each lesson on video. You also have the Teacher's Manual with the description in words for further explanation. So, if you are like I was, unsure of how you will raise children to be better at math than yourself, check it out!

On being Merciful

My dh is preparing for a sermon and was sharing from Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Vol 1. It deals with the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. This is explaining: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" Matthew 5:7


...I would like to take you again to the supreme example. Look at Him there upon the cross, who never sinned, who never did any harm to anyone, who came and preached the truth, who came to seek and save that which was lost. There He is, nailed and suffering agonies on that cross, and yet what does He say as He looks upon the people who are responsible for it? "Father, forgive them." Why? "For they know not what they do." It is not they, it is Satan; they are the victims; they are being governed and dominated by sin. "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Now you and I are to become like that. Look at Stephen the martyr attaining to that. As they are stoning him, what does he say? He prays to his heavenly Father and cries, "Lay not this sin to their charge." "They do not know what they are going, Lord", says Stephen; "they are mad. They are mad because of sin; they do not understand me as Thy servant; they do not understand my Lord and Master; they are blinded by the god of this world; they do not know what they are doing. Lay not this sin to their charge. They are not responsible." He has pity upon them and is merciful with respect to them. And that, I say, is to be the condition of every one who is truly Christian. We are to feel a sense of sorrow for all who are helpless slaves of sin. That is to be our attitude towards people.

Charlotte Mason Vol. 1

Ha! Don't you love it when someone has already said what you have being feeling all along (maybe even says it better)? Reading CM Vol 1 Home Education (Part V) last night, I came across the following:

It seems to me that we live in an age of pedagogy; that we of the teaching profession are inclined to take too much upon ourselves, and that parents are ready to yield the responsibility of direction, as well as of actual instruction, more than is wholesome for the children.

One of the things that I feel has gone wrong with education Miss Mason was feeling in her time as well. I enjoy encouraging people who use all forms of education. But one of the most important things, I feel, is that we realize that regardless of the "form" we use, ultimately our children's education is our responsibility. For me and thousands of other parents, this means home schooling. For other responsible parents, this means private school or public school. But, regardless of the means, the ultimate responsibility lies squarely on our shoulders, not a system, it's administration, a school or it's teachers.

I met a mom who's daughter attends public school this week. Her daughter took Pre-Algebra last school year. The mom was able to look at a "at a glance" summary of Pre-Algebra and tell that her daughter had done all of those operations last year. This may seem trivial to some, but to me, this is a mom who takes her responsibility to educate her children seriously. She knows what her child is learning and how well she is doing and was buying things to help her along this coming school year. She had a great teacher at school, with who her mom was well acquainted. I suspect the teachers know her as well and are thankful for her involvement.

I know this balance is not easy for American educators. Believe me, when I was growing up in public school, I saw my share of unbalanced and overbearing parents who loved to reek havoc depending on their mood. Unfortunately, their is no way to separate a student from their God given authority (except in cases of abuse) and the child get the education they need.

I do not wish to over simplify this issue, only to say, as parents, we must realize our responsibility here and be involved. I know that the other many responsibilities we carry make this difficult, but we must do the best we can. Some involvement is better than no involvement! (As a side note, I will say that if your children are in a classroom setting, you must do your best to support the teacher who is aiding you in this responsibility and perhaps even carrying most of the weight.) Ok! If you are reading this, tell me what YOU think!

A Prayer for Church

a Third-World missionary church planter's prayer letter that echoed similar aims:

"...longing for a God-centered, Christ-exalting, vibrant Biblical church... may we go on to become not merely a legally recognized church, but one recognized in heaven for consistently worshiping God in spirit and truth!"




www.realcolorwheel.com/jacarandaholy2007.htm

More from Calm My Anxious Heart

Ephesians 5:15-17
Be very careful, then, how you live-
not as unwise, but as wise, making the most
of every opportunity because the days
are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but
understand what the Lord's will is.

2 Timothy 1:12
For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Linda tells the story of a lady she calls Mattie who was very committed to the Lord. She had memorized many verses, but her life verse as 2 Timothy 1:12. Mattie grew older and her memory began to fade and she could no longer even remember the faces of her family. As they visited her in the nursing home she was still found quoting verses and especially 2 Timothy 1:12.

But with the passing of time, even parts of this most special verse began to slip away. "I know whom I have believed," she would say. "He is able to keep.....what I have committed...to Him." As Mattie grew weaker, the verse grew even shorter: "What I have committed...to Him."

As Mattie lay dying, her voice became so weak that her family had to strain to hear the whispered words. There was only one word left of her life verse: "Him." Mattie whispered it again and again as she neared the gates of heaven. "Him...Him...Him." He was all that was left. He was all that was needed. Her life focus was Him.

Twenty and Ten by: Claire Huchet Bishop

I recently found an old copy of this book that we had as kids. I don't remember ever reading it, but boy did I miss out! It is still in print though.

Twenty and Ten is set in France during the occupation of the Nazis. It is based on a true account. All the school children were taken out of the city to different locations to keep them out of harms way. A teacher went with each group.

The group is faced with a making the choice to be brave and selfless enough to allow a group of Jewish children to stay with them, knowing that at any time the Nazi soldiers could come and they would have to cover for the children. They gladly agree to let the children stay and even give up part of their small rations to help feed the new children.

The teacher has to go into town one day to get supplies and mail. The rest of the story tells of the brave way the children work to keep the extra children safe when the soldiers come and tell them their teacher isn't coming back!

It is a very sweet story, and amazing to see how they made it through!

Calm My Anxious Heart By: Linda Dillow

Many women today are nearsighted, not in their eyesight but in their life focus. They don't know why they're here or where they're going. They drift like a ship without a rudder. Dr. Swenson, author of Margin, says that aimlessness is common: "Americans are notoriously shortsighted. We live in a state of myopic (nearsighted) mania that blurs the future. The horizon is never visible in the middle of a dust storm. But we must have a vision that extends beyond tomorrow. Living only from week to week is like a dot-to-dot life."

Often women without direction live not only dot-to-dot but on hold, waiting--for the right job, the right man, a baby. Waiting for the baby to grow up and leave home--waiting for something to give their life meaning. Their faulty focus makes contentment an impossible dream.

Psychologist William Marston asked three thousand people, "What do you have to live for?" He was shocked to discover that 94 percent were simply enduring the present while waiting for the future. Because I desire to be a woman of purpose, I often ask myself, "Linda, are you living life with a myopic focus? Are you in a waiting mode?"...

It was spring but it was summer I wanted; the warm days
and the great outdoors.
It was summer but it was fall I wanted; the colorful
leaves and the cool dry air.
It fall, but it was winter I wanted; the beautiful snow
and the joy of the holiday season.
It was now winter but it was spring I wanted; the warmth
and the blossoming of nature.
I was a child but it was adulthood I wanted; the freedom
and the respect.
I was twenty but it was thirty I wanted; to be mature and
sophisticated.
I was middle-aged but it was twenty I wanted; the youth
and the free spirit.
I was retired but it was middle-aged that I wanted; the
presence of mind without limitations.
My life was over but I never got what I wanted.

(written by a 14 yr old boy; quoted in message by Dr. Charles Swindoll, "Who gets the glory?"; quoted from Calm My Anxious Heart by: Linda Dillow)

That's the opposite of what God envisions for us. The Scriptures exhort us to walk wisely through this life.

Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility,
not as [women] who do not know
the meaning [and purpose] of life but as those who do.
Make the best use of your time, despite all the evils
of these days. Don't be vague but grasp firmly
what you know to be the will of the Lord.
(Ephesians 5:15-17, PH)

We must live as women who know the meaning and purpose of life. As Goethe, the German philosopher, put it: "Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least". If we haven't chosen what we are living for, we're living life by default, acting out the scripts handed to us by family, other people's agendas, and the pressures of circumstances. This is not living as a woman who knows the meaning and purpose of life. But it's never too late to change your faulty focus.

From: Calm My Anxious heart by: Linda Dillow

For Whose Sake?

http://lejardinfeerique.blogspot.com/2008/07/for-whose-sake.html

Bird nest from mom's yard

My parents have a bird, a wren, they believe, that tirelessly comes back every year and builds a new nest under the lid of their gas tank. The eggs have long since hatched and the birds gone from the nest, but the beautiful nest remains as well as one lonely egg that never hatched. The pics are of the nest and also we opened up the nest to see what we could see. A head was slightly recognizable and we could actually see some very small feathers.

The Courtship of Sarah McLean

Yeah!  I got the other books from Castleberry Farms Press in this week and just finished reading The Courtship of Sarah McLean.  

I had suspected this book would give an even better introduction to courtship.  I was not disappointed!  It does a very good job of explaining the idea of courtship.  The story is great too.

Sarah McLean is 19 when the book begins.  We see her interact with someone who is interested in dating her and see how she handles explaining to him that she believes in courtship instead of dating.  As in Jeff McLean:  His Courtship, we see a situation that doesn't lead to courtship and how it is handled.  The story follows Sarah as she struggles with her own person growth, trusting God's timing and honesty in the life of a christian.  When a courtship finally starts for Sarah, there is honest, realistic conversation between her and the young man who courts her.  They talk about spiritual leadership in the home, having children, their own personal strengths and weaknesses.  They attempt to think through a marriage relationship, not get caught up in a ceremony the way many so often do.

I think what is best about this series, is just like in this story, many of us know this is what we want for our children, but do not have families we know who have "gone before us", examples for us and for our children.  Therefore, it is hard to imagine what the process might look like.  These fictional stories do that for me.

I would not "PICK" my children's spouses for them.  What I want is for them not to think of "trying out" relationships with every person who interests them, but really praying and seeking the will of God in the person they will marry some day.  (Despite my own mistakes in this area, I know God was preparing my husband for me all along.  I remember the time in my life that I began to pray for him, years before we met).   I also want them not to make this decision based purely on emotion, though attraction and love do play a part.  Instead, to be honest about themselves and a prospective spouse, their compatibility to marry and most importantly that person's relationship with the Lord and seek Godly advice!  Lastly, to not allow themselves to be in compromising situations with someone they are not married to that they will regret later on.

This series of books gives me hope.  That God can be glorified as our children wait for the spouses God might have planned for them.  That they do not have to make the mistakes so many others make and regret.  That the whole process that leads to marriage can be beautiful!

July 3, Edges of His Ways by: Amy Carmichael

Exodus 24:12 : Come up to me...and be there.

When Moses went up, a cloud enfolded him. In that cool darkness he heard words which afterwards he spoke to the people in the heat and glaring light of the plain. So, day by day, as we look forward into the hours which seem to rush upon us, we see not clearness but a cloud. Then a Voice that we know calls softly, Come up to Me, and be here; the Cloud of the Unknown becomes for us then the very over-shadowing of the wings of the Lord; we sit down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit is sweet to our taste. And this fruit, tasted first in the dark alone with Him, will be ours for others. "What I tell you in darkness", He says to us still, "that speak ye in light."

July 2, Edges of His Ways by: Amy Carmichael

Exodus 13:21 : The Lord went before them...in cloud and in fire.

So cloud and fire are bound up with thoughts of guidance. Each day for each Israelite began with the sight of the impenetrable Cloud. What was the day to bring of journeying or of waiting? He did not know. He saw the Cloud, that was all. So do our days begin. We may have a time-table, even so, we face the Unknown. We know not what a day may bring forth, but if we are following our Leader we know that we shall be led. The symbol of that leading is a Cloud, through which we cannot see.

Great Leader, guide me by cloud or fire,
Let me be loyal to Thy heart's desire.
And lest I falter if the way be long,
O let Thy joy be strength to me and song.

Devotional- Thomas a Kempis

Vanity therefore it is, to seek after perishing riches, and to trust in them.

It is vanity to hunt after honors, and to climb to high degree.

It is vanity to follow the desires of the flesh, and to labour for that which thou must afterward suffer more grievous punishment.

Vanity it is, to wish to live long, and to be careless to live well.

..."The eye is not satisfied with seeing, not the ear filled with hearing" Eccles. 1:8

Endeavor therefore to withdraw thy heart from the love of visible things,
and turn thyself to in invisible.

For they that follow their lusts, do stain their own consciences...

The Education of Little Tree

I finished The Education of Little Tree: A True Story By: Forrest Carter. This is an autobiography of a 5 year old Cherokee boy in the 1930's. (I absolutely CANNOT recommend this book for children).

His parents die at the being of the book, and against the wishes of other family members, his aged grandparents take him to the mountains to live with them. They live a simple life in the Cherokee way. They love and respect the nature around them and try to live in harmony with it, only taking what they need, and even then, trying not to take nature's strongest, but always the weakest.

This is a great book as to the in-site it gives to the thinking and ways of one Cherokee family, and perhaps many more of that day. It is very tragic to read from the perspective of one small child of the way he realizes others view their way of life. He is able to see beauty and calm in the way his grandparents live, even though others criticise and belittle it.

His grandmother home schools him by checking out a wide variety of classic literature and biographies from the library. She also teaching him words by having him memorize the dictionary words. A family friend visits them later on and is impressed with his education and adds to it by teaching him how to do sums.

One striking thing his grandfather discusses with him, as I mentioned, is how they only take what they need and then only the weakest of that part of nature. The exception to this is the bee's honey he explains:

And he laughed, "On Ti-bi, the bee, stores more than he can use...and so he is robbed by the bear, and the 'coon...and the Cherokee. It is so with people who store and fat themselves with more than their share. They will have it taken from them. And there will be wars over it...and they will make long talks, trying to hold more than their share. They will say a flag stands for their right to do this...and men will die because of the words and the flag...but they will not change the rules of The Way.

Little Trees impression of Christianity is soured early on by the man he calls "Christian". Little Tree had earned some money, had been saving it up for a gift for his Granma, when a man who says he's a Christian man offers to sell him a small calf. The calf is so sickly, that it dies before they even make it home. Granpa cuts it open and shows Little Tree that its liver was very diseased. Thus, this is the opinion of Little Tree from then on of Christians. His church experience only proves his theory in his mind.

Near the end, the government comes and takes him away from his grandparents. Their reasoning is that Granpa is apart of illegal activity of producing moonshine (which he is and Little Tree is apart of). They take Little Tree along way away. Since this is during the depression and the government actually has no money to care for Little Tree, they sign him over to a church orphanage. The overseer and teacher of the orphanage see him as an evil pagan, and are very gruff and mean to him. At one point during class, a teacher shows the students a picture of some deer and asks what they think is going on in the picture. Some respond and the teacher tells them they are wrong and then tells them what she has determined is the correct answer. Little Tree says they are all wrong and from his large experience with wild animals tell them they are mating. The teacher is outraged and takes him to the Reverend, telling the Reverend that he said vile and disgusting things. The Reverend beats him very very severely and tells him to stay in him room and never to go to class again. Little Tree is crushed and longs more than ever to return home. His grandfather comes to talk to the Reverend, who gladly releases him back to his grandfather.

Little Tree gladly returns back to his home with Granpa. Some years go by and Granma and Granpa each die, and Little Tree sets out for "The Nations" on his own.

As I read this book, I couldn't help but feel the way the students in Blue Like Jazz by: Donald Miller felt about the things people have done to others in the name of "Christianity" down through history. In that book, the students want to find away to be a witness for Christ in an environment where only a handful of them even claim to be believers in Christ. They come up with the idea to have a confession booth out in the middle of campus on the biggest party weekend of the year. The catch is that the students who come think they are coming to confess all the sinful acts they have committed during the weekend, but instead those running the booth begin to confess and ask forgiveness for all of the things people USING the name "Christians" have done to mankind. They ask forgiveness for slavery and the Crusades and many other things.

As I read The Education of Little Tree, I wanted to apologize to the Cherokee and many other nations for people treating them like animals instead of persons created in the image of God, for them taking more than they needed like the bee, and for thinking that other societies' ways are more right than theirs and therefore they needed to be changed and corralled. I wanted to tell them I am convicted about how greedy even I am with God's creation which he has provided to care for us, but we in turn ravage. I wanted to tell them about Jesus and how much he loved and cared for "the least of these" and wanted them to come to him. But mostly I wanted to weep for the ways "Christians" defamed the name of Christ, when our only purpose in life is to Glorify God and love others as ourselves.

Nature Journal

Last night, my neighbor called us over and showed us her discovery. She had lowered the plants on her porch so they could get more rain, and discovered a wrens nest with four VERY SMALL babies and one egg still unhatched. They are the smallest we have ever seen, smaller that my pinkie! The photos are not very good, because it was dusk, but I will change them out if we get better ones. You can make out the almost round orange ring, that is one of the babies opening their mouths!!!!!

Mere Christianity by: C S Lewis Ch 1

I was up to chapter 4 in Mere Christianity, but realized I couldn't articulate it still. So, like Dr. Cabot in Stepping Heavenward told Katherine, I am reading it over until it soaks in.

So, Chapter one is a very thorough explanation of how we all know there is a right and wrong. But it is well summarized in the last paragraph which I will quote,

These two points I wanted to make. First, that human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Secondly, that they do not in fact behave in that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it. These two facts are the foundation of all clear thinking about ourselves and the universe we live in.

And to the second point, he stated earlier in the chapter:

I am only trying to call attention to a
fact; the fact that this year, or this month, or, more likely, this
very day, we have failed to practice ourselves the kind of
behaviour we expect from other people.

Part of the proof of this, Lewis says, is in the fact that we make excuses for why is was okay for us to do this or that THIS time or under THESE circumstances.

I miss you my brother!

Saw some beauty in the city today (see last post) and couldn't help but miss my brother and our trip to central park! It looked something like this....

Nature Journal

Dead beetle ds found. Right is with wings, left is without! (He wanted to see how the wings work!)

Nature Journal

I found an absolutely beautiful sight in the heart of the city today. I don't know what the tree is. If you know please comment! The Lillie pads and flowers are even more gorgeous in person!