sabbatical (for real this time)
Posted by principledmom in Journal
Summer's been busy with school planning, trips to the library, sunny afternoons in the sprinkler and learning to ride bikes (yes, my 4yo son is now a part of the two-wheel cycler set!). For school this year I am planning a sort of mish mash, but that's nothing new I don't think. I will use some NP Lessons and anatomy from GACE and make some of my own using the NP overviews. (It's not as hard as it sounds, I promise. If it was, do you think I'd be doing it?)
Aside from that, I am taking this year to really my put my family first. I have been dealing with some very personal issues that I just don't feel comfortable sharing in such a public forum, so please understand. No one is dying or divorcing or anything so dramatic as that, but it is personal and trying nonetheless.
And truth be told, my heart simply isn't in the blogging right now. It may be in the future. I may start a whole new one or pick up where I left off here. I hope the archives will be of some help to you. Thanks to all of you who read, whether you comment or not. It's been an exciting project. Now my focus has to turn more toward home, where my heart truly is. God bless you all. And please read all my other BPA blogger friends. They are such blessings to me.
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Due to personal reasons I have to put the brakes on my handmade books business for the forseeable future. I am giving you all one last chance to get a one-of-a-kind book by moi at a good price. Color choice is mine (to use up my materials) but you may specify light or dark colors.
Optional hard cover binding:
Elizabeth: 5X7 coptic stitch $25
Soft over books:
Mimi: 4X5
Jane: 5X7
Any of these above books are $20, which includes shipping and cute wrapping.
I will take orders only through about July 15, so place your order now. I accept Paypal at hawthornefive at hotmail dot com and please contact me at that address, as these are not Etsy listings but personal ones here.
If you have The Easy French or the Noah Plan Third Grade Lessons and are willing to trade for handmade books, please let me know and we can negotiate a fair price.
Luther on motherhood
Posted by principledmom in Domesticity
Our natural reason looks at marriage and turns up its nose and says, "Alas! Must I rock the baby? wash its diapers? make its bed? smell its stench? stay at nights with it? take care of it when it cries? heal its rashes and sores? and on top of that care for my spouse, provide labor at my trade, take care of this and take care of that? do this and do that? and endure this and endure that? Why should I make such a prisoner of myself?"What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful and despised duties in the spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels.
Its says, "O God, I confess I am not worthy to rock that little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of a child and its mother. How is it that I without any merit have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? Oh, how gladly will I do so. Though the duty should be even more insignificant and despised, neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor will distress me for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight."
Find of the Week 6/22
Posted by principledmom in Find of the Week
Okay this book is another gem I found at my local used homeschool bookstore:
Watchwords of Liberty: A Pageant of American Quotations was I think $4 bucks or so. It's a fabulous library copy with the pocket still in the front cover. The binding and cover are still in excellent shape so it will stand up to many happy years of reading.
The point of the book is to tell the stories behind famous American phrases, such as, "These are the times that try men's souls," and, "Cotton is king," and, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." Over 100 pages of terrific stories and tales of how these sayings came to be. It's a wonderful addition to our history studies.
My most exciting times as a home educator have come under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Without the help of the Holy Spirit my lessons become dry and frankly pretty boring. I thought I would share some thoughts concerning this.
If you are a Christian teaching your children at home, you probably already have experienced spirit-led lessons, even if you didn't know it or call it that.
When you are teaching multiple grades together you can relax. Just as happens in a church full of individuals, the Holy Spirit has a wonderful way of tailoring the lesson to fit the needs of the hearer. I never cease to be amazed that a room full of people can hear the same sermon, the same words and scripture, and get something intimately personal from it. Only God's living Word can do that.
The Holy Spirit is here for, among other things, education. John 14:26 Jesus says that when He left the Holy Spirit would come and "will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." "All things" there means in the Greek just that--all things. So rejoice that the Holy Spirit is there to teach you, to teach your kids, and to teach you to teach your kids all things.
If you are struggling in an area such as math or history or even how to schedule your day or deal with a difficult character issue, help is a prayer away. God gives wisdom liberally if we will only ask (James 1:5). And when we don't even know what we need the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26) and Jesus (Rom. 8:34) both are praying God's will on our behalf. Praise God! If you are weak in an area let God show Himself strong. I can tell you from experience those are the most exciting lessons of all because I cannot do that in my own ability. (2 Cor 12:9)
I encourage you to be careful not to put your lessons in a box and think there will be amazing revelations every day in every subject. That won't happen. Many days will be pretty average. But that's what makes the special times so special. And God's grace is in the every day, speaking in quiet whispers through His Word in every subject.
With the Biblical Principle Approach that places God's Word at the center of every subject, you can't help but have Holy Spirit inspired lessons each time you pick up your Bible and read His life-giving words to your family. It's rhema.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12