Friday Finds

I "met" another blogging buddy this week...check out Rogers blog, Roll Mental Camera. He writes with a unique, homorous and thought-provoking perspective.

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Don't miss this post by my new friend, Natalie Witcher. Get your "yawlp" ready! Check out her whole blog---you won't be disappointed.

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Abbi put up a good-looking easy recipe for us to try. See it here.

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We have a friend's wedding to attend tonight (hope there's dancing!) Know anyone with an anniversary or birthday on February 29?

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Is it almost spring? (My favorite season!!)

This daffodil was the only one open this morning. Four others opened by this afternoon! Yay spring!!

Think I'll work in the yard this weekend, how about you? (Dirk will be putting a roof on his dad's carport....see his home in the background?)

Teaching Ideas #2

Report Night

A fun thing we did for a few years when the kids were young was to have a weekly “report night”. This was an evening that we looked forward to and prepared for. Each child was responsible to bring a book report, a chart from a science lesson they had learned, a poem they had memorized, or even a skit or song they had rehearsed together.

They were very creative in their ideas. We shared many laughs.

This gave them opportunity to stand alone in front of an “audience” and to also learn respect for the “performer”.

Let me know if you try this, or do something similar in your own family. It is a fun memory!

A Left Turn....

It was “one of those days” ---again. Maybe because it’s Monday. Maybe because we worked hard this weekend and we’re tired. Maybe it’s because I’m still not feeling well. Maybe it’s because of all those things.

It seems to always begin with math. Ugh! Actually, I really enjoy math…but my boys don’t exactly share the same excitement. Possibly, it’s a mix-up in communicating the method, the principle, the concept. Or, it’s tired boys with raging teen hormones. It’s being 13 and 15 with all the boy stuff that accompanies that. Or, it’s because I’m the mom…and the teacher.

Here’s the deal. I know I’m not supposed to take their reaction and less than eager responses personal….I just do. Again. And as good moms are supposed to do, I have another attitude discussion with my boys. Number 5384, or something like that. Again.

So, ….tomorrow will be a new day. Tuesday. Another day of math---yes. But, I’ll try to remember that I’m not 15…..or 13. I’m the mom. I shouldn’t take things so personally….again.

Some days are just hard.

Teaching Ideas #1

Newspaper School

One year I had the Daily Oklahoman deliver a newspaper for each child in our family every weekday morning. The Oklahoman offered a school-rate and honored that rate for our Meadows Lifeschool. While this project required quite a lot of quick, daily preparation on my part, it was a great learning time for us all.

I would go over the newspaper while the children were doing other activities. Since I was teaching five levels of academics at the time, I would decide what we would read together, and then assign varying projects according to each child’s ability. For the youngest, I might have them circle a certain alphabet “letter of the day” or find all the verbs, nouns, etc.. For others, an editorial, with instructions to look up any words they didn’t understand and tell, in writing, whether they agreed or disagreed with the writer’s point of view.

I remember one of my upper level kids doing a report on Iraq (a country just becoming more news-worthy at that time). We followed the stock market, (with Dirk's help) each child having a small portfolio of his own. We would read the paper for 30-45 minutes, then meet together to share our discoveries.

Some days, I was overwhelmed and the newspapers would remain tightly wrapped in a rubberband. Most days, we enjoyed keeping up with current events and sharing funny or touching stories we would read.

It was a fun time. Maybe I need to try it again with my two boys.

What are some fun teaching activities you do with your children?

Friday Finds

A wonderful story of God's love, faithfulness and redemption unfolds this week and next. Read about a life made NEW!

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My good blogging buddy and friend, Scott Williams is raising a stink telling about his prison time---better check it out! Four posts this week worth reading. Hey--Scott's blog is ALWAYS worth reading!

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This weekend the Edmond Lifechurch Switch youth band is playing worship at the weekend experiences at the Edmond campus. Come check out this great group of young men. Oh yeah....one of them is Kody, our 15 year old son playing backup guitar. All but the lead singer are homeschoolers! They'll rock you out of your seats.

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Signs of Spring----my favorite season!

I have daffodils up in my yard. Hopefully, they won't bloom too early and freeze.

Have you seen or heard the flocks of robins flying around?

Now, we just need some warm weather and sunshine!

Have any fun weekend plans?

Am I Doing Enough? (again)

Well, I think I'm going to live....still having a cough, but not feeling as badly. Thanks for re-reading this post from July.
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This question has been resounding in my spirit for a few weeks now. In separate conversations with home educating moms, this question was a heart-cry of three different people.

“Every night when I lay down to sleep, I just worry, ‘Today, have I done everything I could to direct and teach my children?’” “How do I know I’ve covered everything that needs to be covered?” “Am I doing enough or requiring too much?”

These are legitimate questions, but also ones that can bind us up in frustration and insecurities that will only pull us and our children down. Most of us are concerned that we’ll forget to teach some academic subject or an area that will end up being a hindrance to our children’s future. We feel that deep responsibility to make sure we’re “covering it all”. Guess what? We won’t cover it all. We’ll leave gaps. There will be things we forget, don’t know to teach, or don’t do a very good job teaching. And if we’re fearful and concerned at night or at the end of a school year that we somehow failed, maybe our focus is on the wrong thing.

Is our real goal as home educating moms to raise superior academics, straight A students, cum Laude college grads? Or has God called us to raise children whose hearts are completely turned toward Him? To guide them into a heritage of love and godliness that will continue long after we’re gone?

At the end of the day, or the end of 12th grade, my goal is to have poured my love into my children’s hearts. To have shown them the importance of choosing for themselves a life dedicated to a relationship with Jesus. To make opportunities for their character to be challenged to become the men and women that God has called them to be. I’ve seen the fruit of that goal lived out in the lives of my 19-28 year old children. What a blessing!

Did we leave gaps in teaching our children? Of course. Plenty. But God is faithful to teach them everything we didn't or couldn't. After all, He loves them even more than we do!


EVERYTHING that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. 2 Peter 1:3 NLT

But he said to me, "My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak."
2 Cor. 12:9 NIRV

I'm siding with satan on this one.....(again)

Sorry for the repeat posts this week....I'm not coughing quite as much, but I still feel lousy. Thanks for reading the repeats.

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I’m a nothing.

A big, fat zero.

A nobody, zilch, nada, nil.

Aren’t those the lies we hear whispered in our ears on a daily basis? Lies satan wants us to live and believe? Lies that will keep us beaten down and discouraged?

Well, guess what? This time I’m siding with satan! Yep, I’ve crossed the line and I’m agreeing with him.

But, I know a truth satan doesn’t get. You see, I've decided it's good to be a zero.

A zero, in mathematics, is a placeholder. It has no value. It only represents a place. It is a position holder. Alone, zero actually is nothing. But with even the lowest number, number one, standing in front of it, it suddenly has value!

So, satan, while I’ll agree that I’m nothing, with The One standing before me, and with my willingness to be a placeholder in His Kingdom, well, I’ve got a greater value than you’ll ever know!