Wednesday, April 27, 2011
That's just the way it goes...
The boys are doing great! We are doing our school year a little funny, starting and ending in April - doing year round school, with week long breaks every 4-5 weeks. It's a great schedule, and I'm happy about it. My oldest has jumped right into Kindergarten, and although all this new curriculum is a bit overwhelming, he just works one subject at a time, and he loves it! I let him pick what order we go in, and let him help me read the schedule, so he feels like he has some control over how his day is going.
The biggest turn around: My youngest sits and does worksheets with us for the full 2 1/2 - 3 hours that we do school. I quit fighting him. I just let him pick what pages he wants to do, and what stories he wants to read, and we just go at his pace. If he doesn't want to, he can go play quietly in his room with the door closed, and guess what? Not ten minutes later he is always back asking to do more school! My heart and head feel better about this, because I don't like struggling through our days - no one looks forward to that!
My oldest has realized that he really can read, it's pretty funny. We had an argument that he can read words, but not books. So I got out one of my big books and had him sound out words on the page, when he realized that words make books, he got really excited. Then he caught me writing my book, and he got even more excited. He is really curious about why I'm writing a book - so I think we'll have a book writing/illustrating lesson tomorrow!
My youngest has discovered that he can cut out anything, as long as he goes slow. So, our new favorite medium: Scissors and Glue. He's one cuttin' fool! Those are his favorite worksheets - and numbers are a close second. He wants to read, but he gets a little frustrated because memorizing the letter sounds seems to be a challenge for him. Well, just a few of them. He's got all but 4 of them down! I keep reminding him that letter sounds come first, then sounding out words, but I may have to find a mix of sight words and phonics for him. I think I'll give it another few months - he's only three right now! I have to remember that!
Well, I'm pumped, I'm loving how our school year has started, and I'm looking forward to all of the learning we will be doing this year!
How is April going for you? Can you believe May is so near?
PS - My book is coming along beautifully! I am very excited about how it's going!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Forgiveness
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
God has been reminding me lately just how much He has forgiven me for. Or maybe, since God sends our sin as far as the east is from west, I'm reminding myself. Or growing enough to recognize it. You know what I'm realizing? With as much grace and mercy as has been shown to me, I really have no leg to stand on when it comes to holding a grudge against another. This is a difficult process for me, mainly when it comes to my relationship with Stacy. Yet, as I grow, God is giving me the strength to walk in forgiveness, to live it, to give it. When I read the verses above, it made me realize how much forgiveness I need, to be reconciled to God. I want to be forgiven, which is a great motivator for forgiving. It's always hardest to forgive the people closest to me. When someone I barely know does something that makes me cringe, or hurts my feelings, I just remind myself that they barely know me, and it's pretty easy to let it go. Yet, when someone that I love, that claims to love me, hurts or offends me, I get angry and it seems impossible to let it go. I mean, they should have known better. They love me and know me and why would they do that? or say that?
Do you struggle with forgiveness? Who do you find it hardest to forgive and what is your go-to scripture to help you live a life of forgiveness?
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Christianity: Faith For Sale
Saturday, April 23, 2011
My "Perfect" Children
Friday, April 22, 2011
Extending Grace to My Kids
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Life Changing
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Curriculum Choices
Friday, April 15, 2011
Word Count
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Life: Full Steam Ahead!
So, I now have to make sure I write next weeks lesson plan, so we can start on Monday. I'm going to try to get about 6 weeks of lesson plans ready next week, so I'm not worrying about it every weekend. I can just look it over, make sure we are ready to tackle the material I planned for, and we can do it.
Am I nuts for thinking Kindergarten is so much bigger of a deal than Pre-K? I mean, it's not like I'm a total rookie to homeschooling. I was homeschooled. I have been a huge proponent of being my child's first teacher, yet all these books, all the planning that I get to do, seems so much bigger! It's like Kindergarten is official, how silly is that?!
Thankfully, I chose a well rounded curriculum that sent all of the books I need for the year. We will go to the library for some extra reading/non-school or to expand on what we are learning, depending on the topic. This year our subjects are: Bible, Reading, Spelling & Handwriting, Grammar & Phonics, History, Science, Math, Health, and the option to add "other" - I'm thinking that "other" can come in later years!
What are you doing this spring? Are you staying busy?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Book of James
Friday, April 8, 2011
Faith and Works
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is dead?
21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.
24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Always Learning
I try to take an always learning approach to blogging and writing. I want to learn how to write better stories. I want to learn how to reach out to people more. I want to captivate my audience. My audience. Who is my audience? I’m still struggling with defining who, exactly, I want to write to.
Here are the things I currently do to keep learning:
I subscribe to the Merriam Webster online dictionary word of the day!
My word on 4/2 was:
meshuggener:
noun
a foolish or crazy person
I don’t think I had ever heard that word before.
How about this one:
farouche
adjective
1. unruly or disorderly : wild
2. marked by shyness and lack of social grace
Wouldn’t it be easier to just say children? No, no, no! Farouche (pronounced fuh-roosh) is far more fun to say!
I enjoy learning new words, and refreshing my memory on old words.
I also read. Mostly I’ve been reading other blogs. I like to read books too. Usually I pick fiction for my book time, but lately I’ve even found my nose in a few books about writing. Books about writing clearer, getting published, and what to expect along the journey toward being a real writer.
Why do I keep getting stuck on that? A real writer. As a friend and I recently confirmed for each other, we are real writers. We spend hours perfecting this hobby of ours. We won’t use the term author until we are published, but published or not, we pour our hearts into this craft. For now, this is a time consuming hobby. For the future? I have no idea.
What is your hobby? What do you do to improve your skill?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Me, a Morning Person?
Could it be? I certainly never thought so, yet I’m writing this post at 3:30 in the morning, I’ve been awake for two hours, I’m not regretting it…yet. My house is quiet, my fingers are tapping away at the keyboard, and I’m getting the “me” time that every Mom I know craves.
My trick? Well, for starters, I went to bed at 9pm last night. I’ve been trying to get up at 5am – which is very early for me. In my efforts, I’ve been pushing my midnight bedtime back a little every night. 9pm is the magic hour. I fell asleep within ten minutes, slept like a rock until 1:30am, then I sprang up out of bed, ready to go! I switched some laundry, brewed some coffee, got a cup of water, and here I sit.
I did, unfortunately, wake up the snoozer – which was not my attention. My advice, from personal experience: Skip the laundry at this hour. Just get your coffee, use the bathroom, wash your face, and retreat to your personal space. I spent half an hour of my “me” time apologizing for my blunder. Not that I had to. I just felt really, really badly.
So badly, in fact, that while I desperately want to put the clothes that just finished washing into the dryer, I won’t. Not until daylight gleams through the windows and the people in this house expect to wake up.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? What does your “me” time look like?
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Making Life Easier….One Post at a Time
I have discovered my newest blogging tool:
http://explore.live.com/windows-live-writer?os=other
Windows Live Writer.
No, I am not getting paid to say this. I mean it. Honestly. In fact, it was even my idea to write this post.
I downloaded the program a week ago, per another blogger’s suggestion: http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-do-you-do-it-all.html
After download, it sat. Just sat. That’s it. I didn’t open it. I did not look around. Well, today I’m using it for the first time, and I am thankful to have stumbled upon it!
I don’t hardly know anything about it yet. What I do know: When inspiration strikes, I can use it to write as many posts as I’d like, and I can schedule when they post. Date and time. How cool is that? So, if I whip up 7 posts for the week, they can post one day at a time, at the same time every day. This lends to some consistency that I’m not the best at.
I love to write, and I often have a folder full of blog posts, but they don’t get posted with any form of regularity because I’m the brainless wonder of the century. So, this is my tool for regulating when my posts publish. How cool is that?
What do you use to make blogging a more streamlined process?
Monday, April 4, 2011
Temptation: The Hidden Opportunity
I have to be honest and say this post was inspired by our small group study. It is relevant, and I’ve been stuck thinking about it.
Too often, I think we look at temptation as the sin itself. I wonder why we do this. Maybe it happens because we feel weak and powerless to stop it? We can’t control when it happens to us? It is catered to us so perfectly, we don’t feel strong enough to resist?
Yet, temptation is not the same thing as sin.
By Definition:
Temptation:
–noun
1. the act of tempting; enticement or allurement.
2. something that tempts, entices, or allures.
3. the fact or state of being tempted, especially to evil.
Tempt:
–verb (used with object)
1. to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral.
2. to attract, appeal strongly to, or invite: The offer tempts me.
3. to render strongly disposed to do something: The book tempted me to read more on the subject.
4. to put (someone) to the test in a venturesome way; provoke: to tempt one's fate.
5. Obsolete. to try or test.
Sin:
–noun
1. transgression of divine law: the sin of Adam.
2. any act regarded as such a transgression, especially a willful or deliberate violation of some religious or moral principle.
So, by my understanding, temptation is the desire to do something, the appeal to do something, and we should avoid it when the desire does not line up with the Word of God.
Sin is the action of wrong-doing.
Therefore, temptation is an opportunity that should have two arrows on either side of it. Showing the opposite directions of the given opportunity.
Take the opportunity! But do so with caution, the opportunity you want to be taking is to deny Satan, walk away from temptation, and therefore to begin to look more like Christ.
This is, by no means, a challenge to readily expose ourselves to temptation. We can’t hide from it, though. So, why not be ready? Why not etch the truth on our hearts, follow Jesus’ perfect example, and face the opportunity without fear? Temptation is not a curse. It is an opportunity to grow. It is an opportunity to choose to obey our Heavenly Father, the God who loves us, created us, and watches over us.
What is your approach to temptation? Do you recognize temptation when it appears, or does the recognition come after it has passed?
Sunday, April 3, 2011
facebook Friends: part 2
So, after two comments on my FB page about this post, I am adding more thoughts.
Oddly enough, the two comments came from two ladies that were my childhood heroes, and I had lost contact with them over the years.
I didn't have either of their phone numbers, or addresses. (Not saying I couldn't have gotten them...)
With the addition of them to my FB friends list, we have shared many comments back and forth. So, in light of this, I am forced (pleasantly) to reevaluate some of my post. There are people in my life, that I get to share tidbits of life with, thanks to FB. I even have a friend that I met on FB, have never met in person, and love dearly.
FB is not all bad.
Another friend called me last night, reading my post inspired her to call, and we had a great visit. I even called her back later. I talked to my sister twice on the phone yesterday. It felt so good to hear these voices, to share a verbal conversation. I truly enjoyed touching base in such a way.
My FB page is....for the time being....here to stay! I do get to visit with and comment on many people's lives and daily activities, that I would have no connection with whatsoever if it weren't for FB. I also let too much time pass by between phone calls sometimes. So, while I think balance can be a huge distraction, maybe this is an area that I will try to find a little balance in.
I love hearing your opinion, thank you for commenting on what I write!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
facebook Friends
Why don't we just pick up the phone anymore? Why don't we call?
I know with two kids running around the house, meals to be made, school to be completed, text conversations make my life simpler. I also know that people around me are hurting and maybe hearing a compassionate voice would do more good than a FB heart.
Don't get me wrong, I send FB hearts. I don't pick up the phone. It's hard to call. It's hard to hear the broken heartedness of someone going through a trial. A heart is so much easier to type than listening when you have absolutely nothing to say.
Yet, I know I am missing out. I have been blessed with a few special girlfriends in my life, some of them I never speak to anymore, some I speak to more often, some I don't even know where to find or how to get in touch with. With those relationships I have shared hours of phone conversations, the sharing of hearts and heartbreaks. I have visited well into the wee hours of the morning, dreaming about life, mourning the losses, finding joy in success and wondering what God intends to use it all for. Now I'm missing out. I don't call. I text. I check FB. It's easier.
Now, don't let me steal the validity of this form of communication, either. I have some very dear girlfriends that I rarely "speak" to, but I visit with all the time. One in particular I text nearly all day long, and she has been a huge inspiration lately!
I'm just pondering the connectedness that FB leads us to believe we have, how false that is at times, and how much of an impact a phone call, or even better, a visit, has on someone. I know that I love when my phone rings. I know I love to hear a knock on my door. Yet, as I get more immersed in social networking and texting conversations, the more awkward I feel on the phone.
How do you feel about this? Does talking on the phone feel awkward to you because of internet communication and/or texting?
Friday, April 1, 2011
Coloring Books...Better Than Movies?
As I wonder about their talents and skills, I wonder if I am equipped to lead them to live into their talents and skills. So I asked myself this:
Have I identified my talents and skills?
Writing, baking, mothering, photography, and I have a passion for farming.
Then this:
What am I doing to build my skills and talents?
Can we let writing be self-explanatory - seeing how I'm writing this blog and all?
Baking: I usually bake something once a week, sometimes twice.
Mothering: DAILY SKILL BUILDING!! LOL
Photography: I have been using my camera mostly regularly, and enjoying it.
Farming: The first step, in my opinion, is getting debt free. We are working on a budget to do
just that.
Then this:
Am I seeking God in the development of my own skills?
Not like I should. God is really asking me to pray and read His word to help develop my talents and passions right now. I have another post about all of the things I want to do: http://perceptionsby1.blogspot.com/2011/03/so-many-dreams.html
and I believe God wants me to be seeking Him to discover which talents and skills should be a priority, and which other things are merely interests.
and finally:
Am I praying and seeking God for His strength and guidance in guiding my boys?
Again, not like I should, but I am growing. I will continue to pray for them, and as they continue to grow I will encourage them to seek Him. I want to become more intentional about my prayers for them, praying for specific guidance, and praying for specific wisdom when it comes to raising them.
How about you? What are you answers to these very same questions?