Homeschool mother's journal

I have been feeling like I wanted to share some of my life in "real time", and my other blog has more of a serious, magazine-like feel to it now, so I thought I would come over here and write about what's on my mind and in my life! I am thankful that The Homeschool Chick has made this possible!

Here are the questions and answers:

In my life this week...

We were toying with the idea of selling and moving, so we spent four days getting our house "show-ready" so that a realtor could walk through. On the plus side, this was a great way to do some spring-cleaning, on the negative side, it reminded me of just how much work it takes to move! We probably will not sell, so I am really enjoying my clean, organized, and beautified domain!

In our homeschool this week...

I came to the realization that I had been letting my "mommy sensibilities" cloud my judgement, and so I was not expecting the level of academic work I should from my children. I have since changed things up a bit and even stooped to assigning letter grades (horror!) to an essay once a week! Amazingly, they can all write, spell and structure sentences much better than they were letting on...

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share...

There are so many ways to schedule. I have gone through all sorts of seasons when different ones worked better than others. This is spring, with so much to enjoy outdoors, etc., and also my children have been only "dabbling" in one area or another. Therefore my dear husband and I feel lead to dedicate each day of the work-week to a separate portion of their studies, so that we might focus our attentions and energies more fully.

For instance, Monday will be all about McGuffey--I so dearly love these readers! Tuesday will be about non-fiction reading and studying (this is the day for history, science, geography and the like), with a bit of "Greek roots Jeopardy" (I make my own boards to go along with the book) thrown in for fun and instruction. Wednesday will be a 5-page (double-spaced) essay (3-pages for the youngest of the readers). Thursday will be dedicated to math drills, instruction, problems, and games. Friday will be anything my children deem interesting.

I am inspired by...

Ray Comfort. I have been reading one of his books lately and revisiting the "why's" of my salvation, as well as the "how's" of reaching the lost.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...

My dear son, Timothy, came over today for a haircut. As I was clipping the blonde curls on his head I was remembering him as a toddler, his blonde curls were so long and huge on his tiny head back then that we put off giving him his first hair cut for a long time. Now he is a young man on his own, and I love him so much!

My favorite thing this week was...

Kissing the cheek of my precious 2yo Patience and asking her where she got her pretty blue eyes, to which she replied, "From Jesus. He gave them to me and to you. I want Him so much!"

What's working/not working for us...

(See above on homeschooling tips and advice)

Questions/thoughts I have...

I am hoping I have sufficiently communicated the Gospel message to my oldest children out of the home. They are all good, solid citizens, but I still wonder if I could have watered it down a bit. I can't change all that, but I am striving to live a more Spirit-led life with this "batch" at home.

Things I'm working on...

Crocheting doilies--I really enjoy creating these things with my own, free-wheeling patterns. I am also building a whole mess of math helps links that I am trying out and hope to share sometime.

I'm reading...

The Way of the Master, Ray Comfort with Kirk Cameron. More Power to You, Merlin Carothers

Good Morals and Gentle Manners, Gow Up From Slavery, Booker T. Washington.

I'm cooking...

Southwest chicken casserole, one of my own concoctions! It tastes great, but my pickiest eaters like it because it doesn't have any "strange" ingredients!

I'm grateful for...

The rain last night. We are experiencing a bit of a drought here--this last March was the driest on record--so our grass was so thankful, and it was like God was speaking of His love to us.

I'm praying for...

My dear daughter, Anna, whom I love and miss dearly.

Here is a picture I would like to share...

This is an ink sketch done by my son, Ryan.

Good morals and gentle manners

From McGuffey's 2nd reader (revised)

Once upon a time, in the land under our feet, the Bible was the unquestioned sovereign of all books. In this land, parents, teachers and all other officials, including the president, public representatives, and Supreme Court justices agreed that children should all be taught from this book.

It was during this time that a textbook company chose to publish a text that explained morality and manners from a Biblical perspective. Its title was "Good Morals and Gentle Manners".

I have been reading this text aloud to my children. There is no mention of "self esteem" and no promises of having a "perfect life now". In fact, the whole focus is on one's duty to God and man.

Way back when, the word "duty" was not dirty. Certain things were expected ("musts" Charlotte Mason would have called them), and no apologies were made, no excuses offered.

There is a danger in reading this book; if a child (or adult) were to read these pages, he/she would be accountable. There would not be any hiding in ignorance, and so such a person would probably experience...GUILT!

But the most marvelous, wonderful thing of all is that this guilt could lead to the realization that everyone needs their sins to be atoned for, and so the fallow ground would be ready, it would be broken up and made pliable and receptive for the seeds of the Gospel--the good news that Jesus came to forgive, He came to die and bleed for the trespasses of mankind!

As I have been so enjoying books by Ray Comfort lately, I am greatly enthusiastic about sharing this with my children. I don't want them to grow up with a "pseudo" faith, I want them to be genuinely converted.

I have often wondered that the reason we had experienced so many sweeping revivals in the past is that people of the past were well schooled in what depravity and separation from God really meant. It was only in the realization that Jesus died to save them that they experienced any relief from their own consciences, which had been trained from birth to understand sin and guilt.

But, thanks to ministries such as Dollar Homeschool and other online digital resources, we can turn back the clock a bit, and perhaps return to God's original plan for parents and families.