Day Thirteen: Saying Goodbye To Programs

It's bitter-sweet as we say goodbye to Friendship Club and our Homeschool Co-op. Eventually, all of our programs will end and summer will begin. Oliver proudly displays a whole term of artwork, chattering on about which artist each one represents and the method and medium he used to create it. He is genuinely well-pleased with himself and I'm trying not to laugh at the hysterical faces he's making by lifting his eyebrows and presenting so seriously. As he points and explains, I'm grateful for the blessing of our small, co-operative homeschool education. His life is richer (as are my daughters' lives), I have a wee break along with an intense Bible study in the same building, and everybody wins! Saying goodbye is only for a short time so, here we come sunny, carefree days; we are ready for you.

31 Days of Wrapping Up the School Year

This month of posts begins with a trip to my local Homeschool Convention and that means I'll be inspired and oh so ready to wrap up the year, right? Well, that is my prayer. With our little Love (Ashanti) coming to us in September, it's been a rather unpredictably busy and distracting school year. Our biggest blessing also created a huge learning curve for how to homeschool with a toddler who took awhile to slide into our routines and us into hers. Thus, 31 Days is once again an accountability tool for me to help my children finish their present grades well.

In the fall, we dove into the continent of Africa together, trekking the vast Sahara desert and reading 52 Days By Camel by Lawrie Raskin. We suffered along with Olaudah when he was kidnapped and forced into slavery for eleven years (The Kidnapped Prince by Olaudah Equiano). We visited our Kenyan friend's lovely little shop which provides a place for artisans to sell their wares for financial support for their families. We memorized all the African country names. And, we prayed for and learned all about Ashanti's Ivorian momma's struggle with Canadian Immigration. With such an extensive subject matter, it is impossible for my children (or me, for that matter) to grasp the depths of Africa, however, if I can illicit emotion from them through historical biographies and lead them to Africans they encounter each day, to know their stories, that is half the battle. My desire is for them to love Africa and for them to be able to dialogue with others about it's rich and terrible history and it's spectacular hope for the future. With a couple more read-alouds and completing our project folders, this is where we stand on this first day of May concerning our Social Studies. 

My children, attempting to experience carrying water on their heads down our street just like Nya in A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park. They had a tiny idea of what it could be like... minus the burning heat, minus the severity of spilling the precious dirty water, minus the many hours of walking, minus the importance of the chore for a young child, add in the embarrassment one of my kids felt (I won't mention who) participating in this little exercise :)  And, to my dismay, after reading about well-digging and SODIS projects and the monumental problem of finding clean drinking water for many communities, my three kiddos each returned with their water jugs and one by one poured our pure, disease-free water all over the driveway. I think I may have done it too, without thinking. Lesson learned.

working on projects in the beautiful spring air

our very simple version of a Botswana marimba

this big kid joining us for very few adventures these days as she diligently completes her own highschool courses

***

And if we could just scoop up creation and tuck it into a book, this would be our favourite subject :)

 feeding mute swans

 mallard ducks eating out of his hand too

 This little guy came only about four feet from us but was more fearful than our other forest friends.

 This never happens--the petting zoo experience--but, we'll take it today!

 chipmunks too

 Now, this is a regular occurrence and a welcome one.

 But this? It's rare for a woodpecker to sit on your finger! She was beyond thrilled.

 

desperate to see what's in the hole

Expect more of the above Nature Study photos since it tends to be how we reward ourselves for a job well done in our other subjects.  :)

Homeschooling Goodness and the Grace to See it All

He's climbing the walls again, but not like you'd think. It's a brain break of sorts and not necessarily one of Heather Haupt's  (which we love) but it works for him. She cuts and glues her next Advent day's Scripture and reaches for another slice of apple. He races outside in the cold without proper, warm clothes because he forgot he threw on shorts that morning to do his schoolwork. I call him back in to layer up. Sometimes they present projects with other homeschoolers and swim with even more of them. They knit while I read aloud. They interrupt me to fix dropped stitches. The cat cries and she jumps up to see if Clementine needs her bowl filled. They work through science experiments alongside cousins and later they bound out of the truck into the church down the road for co-op once a week. This is what school looks like for us and it's all goodness.

climbing the walls

 

We're catching on in the midst of a lost math book and piles of dishes and a squabble over chores that this is truly a blessed life. We do our best to remember to praise and thank the One who makes it possible, the One who gives us immeasurably more than we deserve. Once in awhile, I look around the room and I get it. I can be so thick in my perfectionism. Yesterday I sat in the driveway and cried because the house was a mess and the kids weren't being helpful and the dishwasher service technician arrived before I could get home in time to be prepared. At that moment, my cell phone rang in my hand and a friend encouraged me and my husband sent a text telling me I had qualities that were more important than keeping things somewhat presentable. Goodness--all of it.

 

Advent books

highschool work

recess

making bird feeders with pinecones

favourite reading chair

knitting begins again--this year Oliver tries his hand at it

trying to figure out a new type of baby booties

favourite Christmas storybook

helping her sister figure out a math story problem

Caleb's loveable cameleon

experiment at Auntie Hilary's

 

singing the Books of the Old Testament at our homeschool group meeting

 

My plan is to blog Thirty-One Days Of Homeschooling Goodness in January--Lord willing. Please join me as I use my blog as a bit of an accountability for gratitude and praise, for self-discipline and consistency. May God grant us all the grace to see His goodness in our lives, whether we homeschool, work, study or care for others around us.

 

Of Drawing Close And Hearing God's Voice (Concluding October's Theme)

Dwell on this: the Creator and Master of the universe designed you and wants to have a relationship with you. He did not make your body, soul and spirit and then leave you to flounder about in this life. He made you with the capacity of actually communing with Him. We don't deserve to be connected to an Almighty God because of our sin, but guess what? We get to anyway. God desires to speak to us. He longs to share the secrets of life with us. He wants to reveal His plan for our lives! How often do we wander this earth, fixating on things that don't matter or waste precious time?

Being raised in the church means you hear this stuff your whole life. That makes it wonderful, but it can also take the power out of it. If I heard the above information for the first time, at thirty-eight years old, I would be astounded and awe-struck! Since I've grown up with this profound knowledge, I've had the privilege of practicing it but also the unfortunate opportunity to dismiss and down-play it. What a terrible tragedy! That is why we need mentors, accountability, retreats and regular meetings with the Body of Christ. We need to be reminded of the matchless gift we have that in this Faith, we get to have conversation with the Living Founder!

Seek it, friends! Long for the drawing close. He'll meet you. Set time aside and keep it! Always have a notebook and pen. Begin with worship, whether it be through music or the reading of a Psalm aloud or by simply telling Him how awesome He is. Whatever you do, be still. Quiet yourself. Don't feel guilty about not being able to concentrate. When your grocery list comes to your mind and all the things you have to do that week, write them down! God is helping you be organized. He will order your thoughts and even help you to remember, in this time, things that are important that you may have forgotten. I used to feel so guilty about not being able to concentrate during my prayer time. I'd try to focus only to return to my lists. But this weekend, I learned that God even cares about all those little details and doesn't want me to try to push it away in my own strength. Honour those thoughts, ideas and lists to get them off your mind.

Next, if it helps, picture Jesus. It can be a picture of Him with you in your home or perhaps on the Sea of Galilee or on a hillside. This is just to help you focus your thoughts on Jesus. Then, you can write a question to God. He actually wants to answer it! Wait for His answer. God speaks to us through our spontaneous thoughts. Let the Holy Spirit flow and write down whatever you "hear". Don't doubt it. Don't fear that it's your own thoughts. Another thing I learned this weekend is that we can shut down the flow simply by doubting it. Just write. You can always go back later and check what you've "heard" and test it against Scripture. If what the Lord has been whispering to you lines up with His Word or His character, then you can believe He really did speak all of those things to you! How exciting!

Now, I've always known this. Have you? Practicing the beautiful dance of communication with God has been half-hearted, short and choppy with me, to say the least. I'm sure I've stepped on His toes many a time! However, I long for a deeper connection now and I've discovered that if we honour Him with our time, He promises to be there and to reciprocate. It's what He has designed us for! The words He spoke to me this weekend left me reeling in my mind as to why I haven't been giving more of my time to Him. Ask Him friends, ask Him your most pressing questions. Ask Him what you don't need in your day. Ask Him how He wants you to approach that unsaved loved one. Ask Him how much He loves you. God wants to share His thoughts with you (Psalm 139:17)! He doesn't take pleasure in sitting back and watching us try to figure it all out on our own. He says, "Come to me all you who are heavy with burdens and I will give you rest." He says, "Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you." He even speaks to His people in visions and dreams. And why not? Did He not create our minds for this capacity? What else is our dreaming for? Why wouldn't He communicate with us by using an intricate part of us that can be used for His utterances? All of life belongs to Him and points to Him. Every part of us is for Him.

So, wait on the Lord, journal what He tells you and digest it. Soak it in. It's in this relationship that He can save your day, your marriage, your friendships, your motherhood, your life. Enjoy continuing to draw close and I pray that we may all grow wiser, full of joy and peace as we move into a new month and season with all we've learned together. God bless you.

Days Twenty-Eight -- Thirty-One (of 31 Days)

Little did I know that in the very last days of October, the last days of writing about "drawing close" to God, that He would send me on a retreat called, "Hearing God's Voice". As I, and a few friends headed home on the four hour drive from this place, my mind swirled in delight with all that I had learned about drawing close effectively. I'm blown-away, amazed, speechless. I have much to share and don't know how to begin. I will write soon. And, yes, this is how the landscape looked this weekend!

Day Twenty-Seven (of 31 Days)

"Don't stop Mommy!" Oliver calls from the backseat, "roads are for races!" He's quite bothered that I'm slowing down to stop at a light. I explain that I have to obey the law for the safety of everyone on the road and he mumbles, "Oh, why do we have to have stoplights in this world?"

Sometimes I don't want to stop and draw close to God. I want to keep going and pull off this thing called life on my own. In the back of my mind, wisdom whispers gently that for the safety of all involved, I'd better get on my knees. Many stupid mistakes have led me to know that unless I'm approaching His throne for advice, wisdom, rest and empowerment, I'm headed down a path that seems good to me but at a moment's notice, it can turn ugly. Worse yet, over time, it can turn ugly.

Stoplights are for our own good and for allowing us to wait on opposite traffic to take it's turn. When I barrel through those amber lights, which are warnings that the red is inevitable, I don't always see the oncoming danger. Stopping to hear God's voice gives me a better view of my day, my life and essentially where I'm going and what's in the way. Drawing close this month has had it's amber-light-fly-bys and I want that to be more consistent. Have you been able to stop at the lights to listen and assess?

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Day Twenty-Six (of 31 Days)

What draws you to the Father? It's humility for me. Just the other day, my oldest wrote me a letter stating that she had figured out why God had placed her in this family; it was to help me to be more organized :) At the moment I read the letter, I felt a sense of gratitude but also a sense of defensiveness! Thankfully, I chose to take this acclamation to God and ask Him what He wanted me to do with it. Yes, mothering and homeschooling and life in general, keep me humble, and if I had no where to take my humiliation, I would feel overwhelmed and helpless.

I love that Paul declares he had a thorn in his side. Whatever it was, it makes us more aware that it's only in our weakness that God will show His strength. If we are full of ourselves and walking independently, drawing close would seem unnecessary. Dare I say, with Paul, praise God for our thorns? Think about it, what draws you to the Father?

Day Twenty-Five (of 31 Days)

A frail and lovely man who was strong in spirit and in his love for the Lord, drew as close to God as he could last night. Elwood Holloway, Grandpa and Great-Grandpa took his last breath at ninety-one years of age and is in the presence of His Saviour.

Just imagine it! Imagine a life that has walked with God, trained his children and grandchildren to follow Him as well, leaving a legacy, now joins his wife in heaven. This tender-hearted farmer bowed his head at a moment's notice to lift up his loved one's before this God he now embraces. How difficult it can be, at times, to draw close here on earth but still, rewarding. Picturing it from Elwood's perspective now... oh, the elation! So, imagine your God today, dear friends, when you come before Him. Picture the reality of who He is and what will be at the end of your journey here on earth. Draw close today with that in mind.

Day Twenty-Four (of 31 Days)

He walked the dusty sod with twelve men, gathering crowds, healing the sick, embracing the people. He came from a small town but His message of His Father's great love spread around the world and became written down. Although this Word met opposition, to the point of mass burning and confiscation, lovers of the Word hid it in their homes and in their hearts to preserve it. It will never die. It will be completely fulfilled.

Our pastor has been digging deeply into Scripture with our congregation and we've trodden where the the seven churches have walked. To know that time and all it's qualities and trials is beautiful and eye-opening. However, I've loved imagining Jesus being born into our time. What would that have been like? He is the same yesterday, today and forever! He came at a specific place in history but He is eternal. God's plan is astounding.

Dig into New Testament history and watch it come alive for you. Feel what the early churches felt, hold their dreams of deliverance and hope with them as they sacrificed their freedom and even their lives to carry out their Lord's will in a difficult time. This week, draw close by studying the history and geography surrounding Jesus' mission while He was here on earth. It will come alive for you and get you excited for His return.

Day Twenty-Three (of 31 Days)

When you can't draw close and it's all you want to do... talk to Him.

I photographed a wedding today. God was there. I love weddings where the Lord is welcomed. It was all day and evening and I just returned home at 11pm. I wanted to have quiet time with God today but since that was impossible, I talked to Him on the run. It's overwhelming for me to fathom that I serve a God who is right beside me, at all times, while He's right beside you at all times too. My finite mind can't grasp this. But I trust it. Because I trust it, I spoke with Him a lot today as I faced the emotions of anxiety, peace, apprehension, joy, and confusion at various times and for various reasons. When no one was able to help me and I had to remain in control and smile and take charge of the wedding party and family, Jesus was there. I could whisper to Him with all assurance that He was listening because of previously drawing close. Isn't it true that when you know someone because you spend time with them, you know they'll be there for you when you need them most?

I encourage your continued relationship building with your Creator so that His strength will be obvious to you in the times when you have nothing to do but cry out to Him.

Day Twenty-Two (of 31 Days)

We have super heroes at our house. I saw two of them whiz by me yesterday, draped in tea-towels and masked in stickers. With fists punching the air, they shouted their intentions of saving the world, especially, kitties. They jumped on beds and flew down off of them, which, thankfully, my kids didn't see since that's against the rules of our home ;)

And, I saw bigger super heroes later, here on my beautiful friend's blog. These are the kind I deeply desire my children to model themselves after. They are the Gleaners and they work hard, humbly and quietly, making nutritious, dried soup mix for hungry people around the world. My friend will be taking several bags to Ethiopia soon, as she and her husband go there to receive from God their long-awaited baby, Deborah. She is also a super-hero to me as I witness how "drawing close" has helped her to be patient and to trust God's timing, when she could have otherwise been distraught over the many roadblocks they've faced in this adoption.

So, let your children play super-heroes, but be inspired by the real heroes and help them to know who their examples should be.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." (I Corinthians 15:58)