I think we all have “how did we get here” moments in life.
I’ve certainly had plenty but I think my greatest one happened about a year ago.
We were a family of 5 newly living in our 28ft. travel trailer, in our friends backyard, beginning our journey of financial goals. We had just sold most of our possessions, placed the remaining in a storage unit, and were officially living “trailer life”. We knew we’d be in for big lessons financially, logistically, and working our booties off to accomplish goals. What we didn’t account for was that we were going to be doing most of our work spiritually and emotionally.
Redirecting our lives into minimalism pushed us to dig deep on what was important in life. The distractions that we once knew daily were luxuries that we no longer experienced. We had distractions that turned us away from the hard truths that were buried in us and the struggles of our marriage. Life was stripped bare. We were recovering from mistakes and hardship.
And you know what happened?
We did hard things.
Despite the warnings, it didn’t kill us. In fact, we are better off for the hard physical and emotional work. It was certainly not without sacrifice and big emotions from each one of us at any given moment(but if you know my family, that’s kind of a given).
On the other side of a year that moved us 3 times, helped us crush debt, and so much more; we are beginning another new chapter. After 9 years of working at the company that hired Preston out of high school, he has found a new job that will change things in big ways yet again.
So the whirlwind continues, and we trust in Him.
The greatest lesson out of this whole thing has been that God is continually faithful. He has showed up for us over and again in all of our seasons, has been gracious and continually provides. He frequently whispers softly through my limited beliefs, convicting my heart, and continually showing me His mercy.
“Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning;
Great is your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,”therefore I will hope in Him.”
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We’re officially in those berrr months and I am so here for it.
Our little river town is teaming with school drop offs, fall festivities and changing leaves. Our homeschool is teaming with new life(our newest addition to the family), new and old curriculum, lots of laundry, animal chores, meals to plan, prep and cook and caretaking for family members inside and outside of our home.
I wish the latter half of that description could sound as picturesque as the first half but it just doesn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful. I don’t take lightly the opportunity homeschool my kids and invest in these years in this specific way. It’s a blessing. Still, in this season, I feel the weight of sleep deprivation and life circumstances acutely. To be honest, that has made it really difficult to get excited for this homeschool year.
I’m usually giddy to pick out curriculum, make plans for morning basket and imagine the nature walks and art projects. I love this sort of thing. Imagining, planning and collecting all that we need is one of the highlights of this season for me. But this year it felt like one more thing. One more thing to research. One more thing to purchase. One more thing to add on to my already full schedule.
Instead of trying to get myself pumped for this year I decided to take a different approach. I’m just showing up and doing it. In the middle of my tired. In the middle of mess. In the middle of postpartum.
Its not fancy or super exciting but it’s getting done. We’re doing morning basket still, just less books. We’re learning grammar, reading comprehension, writing, spelling, geography, science, history and math this year but it’s more condensed. Less tasks, more practice. Less tasks, more consistency.
If you’re thinking that the idea of going over all of those subjects with your kids sounds exhausting or intimidating, let me be the first to tell you, it doesn’t have to be. We combine a lot of these subjects in our morning basket and their individual work is on a rotation schedule(meaning I rotate certain workbooks through the week) so that they aren’t bogged down by tons of work each day. These methods have been what has carried our homeschool this year. Putting it on the calendar, choosing consistency and being kind to ourselves when it doesn’t all get done.
So in the middle of this mundane homeschool year I’ve decided to show up in this space to share how it’s going, what we’re doing and how we will adjust our tasks and homeschool schedule to meet our needs over the course of the year. I’m going to give you some insight to what our weeks look like. I’ll also share with you some of the products that we use daily/weekly.
A couple books. that have inspired me in perseverance and simplifying our homeschool are Teaching From Rest andThe Read Aloud Familyboth by Sarah Mackenzie. These books both paint a picture of building relationships with your kids through cultivating a peaceful homeschool environment and reading aloud. If you are homeschooling, considering homeschool or just a parent looking to connect with your kid, I highly recommend these books.
If you’re like me and you need to listen to some of your ‘to read’ list while you do chores, then listen to Teaching From Rest and Read Aloud Family. If you don’t have an account consider singing up for Audibles 30 day Free Trial. This is my favorite way to read books as a homeschool mom who has more time to listen than to read.
Morning Basket
Some of you might be curious what this morning basket thing is. I first heard of this concept listening to Pam Barnhill’s podcast Your Morning Basket(Now named Homeschool Better Together). The concept is that you combine several subjects in a time of reading and memory work that everyone in your homeschool, regardless of age, can do together.
For example, our morning basket may look something like this: prayer, theology discussion, manners book, memory work, history, geography
Because our schedule rotates we might switch out history for science or art. Another example: we might switch out manners for literature or a language lesson. As we continue on this schedule we are able to cover multiple subjects throughout the year without spending hours doing morning basket and losing everyone’s attention before we’re done.
This is admittedly my favorite part of homeschool. I love a good picture book and I enjoy the discussions I have with my kids. I feel like we learn more in this part of our homeschool than any other part. However, I am aware that morning basket doesn’t work for everyone’s homeschool and I totally understand. This is just the way we knock out multiple subjects so that our time doing book work is more focused and less likely to be met with resistance.
I will explain more about what we’re doing for individual subject like manners and geography in a future post.
If you’re thinking, “My kid isn’t going to sit still for morning basket,” you’re absolutely correct. They need practice. Because we’re homeschooling our kids we can decide when and in what situation we practice sitting still and when we give our kids freedom to move while they learn.
I prefer my kids practice sitting still for prayer, memory work, geography and some of the read aloud portion . These are the first things we do in morning basket and thankfully these activities are rather interactive. For the rest of morning basket I allow them to color or pick something simple to do while they listen(a fidget toy or legos can work well for this time).
My biggest rule for this time is remembering that my kids are little humans who are learning to pay attention. We choose to be flexible in our homeschool. If my kid needs to move to listen(kinesthetic learning) then we make a way for that to be done.
As I wrap up this months homeschool journal, I’m looking forward to a year of slow and steady. A year of get out and walk and snuggle up with a book and four wiggly kids. A year of learning again and again what it looks like to teach my kids and to learn alongside them. I hope this was encouraging for you.
May your fall be a peaceful time of settling into rhythm.
So much has happened since I’ve last posted here. Much has changed situationally for us as a family. So much has changed for me spiritually.
I felt prompted to take a break from writing in the spring of 2023. A lot was happening for me internally and relationally. I needed time to process without the temptation to share here out of a place of hurt and anger. I also felt like God was working on some big things in me. Spoiler alert: that’s still happening. In more recent months I’ve felt prompted to share here again.
When you read this title I hope you don’t think I up and moved without telling anyone. Not in a physical sense anyway. My heart is what has moved. It’s been through a lot in these recent years. This heart of mine has been awakened and strengthened in the re-shaping of my identity. It’s grown in hope in a way I didn’t know was possible. It’s faced hard things by learning to look to Jesus. It’s also been shattered and re-shattered. This feeling isn’t new and yet, I still find it disorienting. I’ve scrambled to pick up the pieces and put it back together as if my panic will undo the hurt. I’ll be the first to tell you that speed is not a great help in this task; none-the-less that was my first instinct. Put it back together speedily. Is there not work to do for the Kingdom? There is and I was here for it. Almost in denial of what had just occurred. “Get up and dust off ol’ girl. We’ll keep going.”
But I didn’t dust off. I didn’t keep going. I felt spiritually paralyzed.
What I didn’t understand was that while I rushed to ‘move on’, the doubt and questions that sat under the surface were an invitation from God Himself. My natural inclination was to bypass this. My self talk sounded a lot like, “You’ve been through this before” or “You saw it coming, therefore, you can’t be that wounded over it,” and yet, I was. So in this moment when my flesh said, “move on” and “be tough”, God’s invitation said, “Come with your weariness. With your shattered pieces, still scattered. With your wound still gaping. Come now, in the middle of it, and I will give you rest.”
I thought I had learned this concept. Come as you are. However, I found myself questioning everything. The identity that I experienced God changing with his truth? Shattered. My understanding of friendship that I thought he renewed? Shattered. Not gone, but broken. Confused.
And so began the last two and a half years of a writing hiatus and intensive healing. Learning to be here. Present with my own pain. Sitting in the dust with Jesus instead of sweeping the dust up around him telling him I’m ready for the next thing. He knows better. This was the next thing. To seek him. To face it. To be sad. To be truly healed instead of developing callouses.
In these two years I have begun to learn the art of sitting with my pain in a different way. I’ve been learning it in a community that has practiced the work of the Spirit in the way that they’ve enveloped, accepted and encouraged me and my family toward healing. To be in the presence of this many people who will sit with your pain and point you back to Jesus? I’m bewildered in the best way.
The worst part about learning to be present in pain and grief is that it gets worse before it gets better. Not only that but as you are learning this new way to process things, life keeps happening around you. So there’s new things to process and grow through. This can be so overwhelming. To do this hard work without going numb is impossible for me. I need Jesus. I need community. I need community to remind me that he’s here with me and won’t leave me in the cycle of apathy and chaos. I need Jesus to do massive work in my heart and my nervous system. I need community to be the hands, feet and sometimes the literal shoulders to cry on as I speak out loud my deepest pain and fears. I need them to pray over me and worship with me and still accept me after those things are spoken. I need them to not be shocked by my brokenness so that I can stay vulnerable. They can only do that through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This is why the church is so so important. And this is why church hurt hurts so deeply. Because this is Christ body, here to do the will of him who saves. The saving has been done and the saving is being done. The work of the church matters. The sin of the church matters. The moving forward in humility and accountability matters. My sin matters. My forgiveness matters. Your sin matters. Your forgiveness matters. Our witness matters.
Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…
Hebrews 10:23-24
He does not leave us in the dark. This heart work is Kingdom work. It takes diligence and rest. It takes patience and perseverance. It takes the Holy Spirit. It takes community.
I’m reading through the Bible chronologically this year. I am so blessed to be doing it with an amazing group of women virtually(through the Every Woman A Theologian ministry).
In 2020 I picked up my Bible and began attempting to read it regularly again(not my first attempt). I struggle with being distracted in my own mind, not to mention having the cutest people/dog depending on me to keep them fed, loved and taken care of in various ways. I wrote this off as not realistic, impossible and really just sitting in the “why do I even try” thought process. For some reason in the middle of all of my negative thinking I asked God to put a desire for His word in my heart, because I recognized that that desire wasn’t there for me. When I did that, something changed.
So I started showing up and it didn’t look how I wanted it to. It wasn’t distraction free. I didn’t have a personal take away every day. I didn’t feel magically filled up and transformed and on a spiritual high at the end of every read. I missed days and I closed it in the middle of a sentence to deal with some sort of toddler crisis and didn’t always go back. I read the Bible wrongly and then learned to read it rightly. I sought my self and solutions to my problems instead of seeking after God. I began to seek after Him and His character and He allowed those problems to be transformed by the slow process of sanctification(John 17:17).
👆🏻And all of that mess lead to a habit; to show up in the word. Because I asked. Because He’s gracious. Because I showed up even when I didn’t feel like it.
And through that process He did give me what I asked for; a hunger for His word.
Here’s the other thing -> He didn’t just give me the hunger for His word, He allowed resources to be put before me. Other Christians around the Globe who are teaching sound doctrine to help me understand how to read the Bible. To not just plop the pages open and point and treat it like a fortune cookie instead of the inherent word of God. I learned that personal application was the last step in reading. That authorship, genre, historical context are important things to take into account. To read the Bible Christologically. The sit in the parts that are hard to read/understand. To not know the answer and not rush to conclusion. To extend grace and learn to love the church that doesn’t land in the same places on sencond and third tier doctrinal issues.
I’m sharing this because if you’re struggling to be in the word, I want you to know that I’ve been there. That sometimes we have to ask for help and sometimes we have to show up even when there’s no motivation. And that there’s GRACE when you get it wrong and when your environment isn’t perfect.
John 17:17 Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth
I’ve heard people say that they don’t have time for fiction. I have admittedly said this myself. I stopped reading fiction for a while because I felt like I only had time for theological or self help/development genres. I felt like I had a lot of growing to do and never enough time to do it. I have realized the error in my thinking over the last couple years. Reading fiction is actually good for our brains! It helps us to empathize and see things from another humans perspective. I find this especially true with historical fiction(one of my absolute favorite genres). I also find that when I read for simple enjoyment and not just for the sake of learning it helps stoke my ability to maintain reading not just as a habit but as an enjoyable hobby. So here is some of the fiction that I was honored to read this year.
The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels – This story is a raw, thought provoking look into Robin’s(main character) life. Living in survival mode, Robin is discovering how to keep her used bookstore afloat while escaping childhood memories. This book has romance, travel, and some good book recommendations to boot. I borrowed this book from my local library and worried that I wouldn’t finish it before it was time to return. Little did I know I would finish it in two days. Go grab this book, snuggle up with your tea and enjoy a good read.
Sense And Sensibility by Jane Austen – As a devoted Jane Austen fan it feels sacrilegious to say that I didn’t like this book at first and it took me a couple of tries to begin and read through this one. For me, it felt like it began even more slowly than her other books. However, by the time I was about a quarter of the way through it only took me a couple days to finish. Needless to say, I love this one. It’s one of those stories that takes time to develop and you fall in love with it in a way you didn’t think possible while chipping away at the beginning. This title has made it on the ‘to read again list’ and that’s not easy to do. If you’re a Jane Austen fan and you haven’t picked up this classic, start ASAP.
For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway – I began reading this classic in effort to become more familiar with Hemingway’s work. It was equally intriguing and hard to read. Following an American dynamiter volunteering for the Republic in the Spanish Civil War. Naturally, in a book based in war times, there was violence and some vivid imagery. If you have the stomach for it, it is a very interesting read. *This book has some sexual content and would not be recommended to young readers or those triggered by this subject matter.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston – This classic was so full of emotion. This is an important piece of literature that is worth the read. Following a mixed race woman named Janie in the early 20th century, this book takes you on a journey back in time and gifts the perspective of what a woman of color would have experienced at that time. *This book contains some sexual content, not explicit. It would be worth considering another title if your young adult reader or you are sensitive to this content.
The Anne Of Green Gables Series by Lucy Maud Montgomery – I read book 1-6 of this series. Anne of Green Gables is one of my all time favorite books of my childhood. This coming of age tale was precious to me and my grandmother in girlhood as well as adulthood. I decided that it was time to read through the whole series. Although I have not read through the last two books yet(I plan to finish in the coming year) I found this series to be just as beautiful and comforting in adulthood as it was in childhood and recommend it to anyone who has never read about Anne and her adventures before.
The Mark Of The Lion Series by Francine Rivers – I came across these books through a friend. Peering at her bookshelf(an activity I regularly do at other peoples homes 😅). My beautiful friend noticed me looking at them and told me that she loved that series and I definitely needed to read it. That was all it took. She sent me home with the first book. It was thick, about 500 pages and I was nervous about taking on another book while reading 3 others but I had lapsed on fiction reading and needed some in my life. I read this book in 5 days. When I tell you it was riveting, I mean Oh My Goodness! Needless to say, I was begging my friend for the second one in the series less than a week after borrowing the first and utterly shook at the marvelous book I had just read. These are historical christian fiction books based in approximately 70A.D. A young Jewish Christian woman is barely surviving in a time of genocide of her people. A dangerous time to be a woman, Christian and a Jew. This series is action packed and I recommend it wholeheartedly.
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth Speare – Amazon accidentally sent this book to me instead of the one I ordered. When I contacted them it was going to cost more time and money than it was worth to ship it back and fix the mistake so we all agreed to leave it as is. Ironically, it was the coolest book to accidentally receive by accident. The Bronze Bow is set in the time where Rome occupied Israel and most surrounding areas. Following the story of a Jewish boy named Daniel who wants to avenge his fathers death and hates the Romans with a passion, we see loyalty, love, and courage as the themes of this book. Daniel learns some hard lessons and faces his greatest challenges while also coming across a man who was considered a healer. Could he be the messiah? Go read this classic if you haven’t yet.
The Art Of Mending by Elizabeth Berg – I found this book at the library sale. I’m not sure what even drew me to it but I paid 50 cents for it and went on my way. When I finally decided to read it I was shocked at how good it was. Then reading reviews I was shocked again at how negative a lot of them were! This book was a look into the inner workings of a family and the way different siblings experience their growing up. It addresses favoritism, abuse and the heartbreaking process of holding people accountable. I loved this book but did find it somewhat triggering and hard to read at times. If you struggle with family discord or violence, use discretion when reading this book. *Some strong language.
The Gearnsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows – I read this book because I watched the movie first *gasp* now all of you avid readers will never look at this blog again! I loved the movie(it’s on Netflix but don’t be like me kids) but the saying is true, the book is indeed better. Post World War 2, Juliet Ashton is a budding success in her writing career but after the loss of her parents and the post war trauma she is struggling to continue on as if nothing ever happened. She then gets a letter in the mail from a pig farmer who found her name and address on the inside cover of a used book. Through this farmer she learns about the troubles that befell the German occupied Island of Geaurnsey during the war and the book club that was born during these wretched times. This tale is so worth the read and I hope you love it as much as I did.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeymon – This is a book that I had heard recommended over and over. I was a little nervous at the beginning, it seemed depressing but I ended up loving it. If you enjoy exploring the peculiarities of the human mind, emotion and interaction through fiction, this is the book for you. I so enjoyed it. *Be aware that this book does have some language in it.
The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn – I made it to chapter 6 in this book. This is based on some very strong American nationalism and theologically dispensational themes. I found it to be a difficult writing style to track with and I decided to quit for a few reasons. Simply based on my opinion I do not recommend this book for anything other than maybe reading from a fictional dispensationalist standpoint. If you do read this book please know that this is not prophecy for what’s to come and the best way to know if something is or isn’t a word from God is to check it against scripture and God’s character.
Unashamed by Francine Rivers – Because I loved the Mark Of The Lion Series so much I decided to begin reading some other titles by Francine. This book is from a series of Biblical fiction called The Lineage Of Grace which covers stories from the Bible of women who were in the lineage of Christ. This particular book was Rahab’s story. If you’re familiar with the actual account of Rahab in the Bible then you get the gist of the book. It was an interesting read and I enjoyed seeing this story from a deeper perspective(keeping in mind it really is just speculation and embellishment). I am looking forward to reading the rest of the novellas in this series.
And The Shofar Blew – This fictional book is based between the late 80’s and early 2000’s and tells the story of a pastor, elders and laypeople as well as their families in a growing church in California. This story has been triggering but well thought out and provokes deep thought and emotion. It helps open our eyes to the difficulty and sacrifice of people in ministry positions as well as how watered down gospel and selfish ambition can create a toxic and spiritually abusive environment.
I want to close out this book review by saying that I recognize that I have good things to say about most of these books. It’s not that I don’t find fault in any of them. I find some of them to be frustrating in parts. I may struggle with the language, patriarchal themes or overly sexual content. However, I see the goodness in all of these because A) Most of these books have been recommended to me and have been waiting to read them for a while and they really did turn out to be excellent stories. Some of them are classics for a reason! B) Another theory I have for the overall positive reviews is that I am not a super picky reader. I don’t have massive pet peeves when it comes to writing styles and different world views. This may not be the case with you, therefore you may not find my book reviews(or recommendations) helpful. Wherever you land I hope more than anything your desire for reading is sparked, whether through an overly positive book recommendation or simply through your own goals to read more.
Thanks for visiting this blog in 2022 and I cannot wait to write to you in the New Year!
I began this year with a new goal for myself. I didn’t call it a New Year Resolution but that’s essentially what it was. My goal was to read a book a month. That meant that outside of my regular bible reading time I had to set aside at least 10 minutes to read a day. I started out feeling like this goal was attainable and if I read more? Great! And if I didn’t reach it? I’d re-evaluate and try again the following year.
So far this year I have read 38 books. That’s triple my goal! No, this does not include the read alouds read to my children or the Bible studies done. They’re just plain, old, good books I’ve had on my reading list for a while and have finally been honored to read. I am so thankful that I was able to make the time to do this. Now, I can hear your question, “Where were your kids? Are they ok?” And the answer is Timmy has fallen in the well, but aren’t you proud of me?
Joking.
In all seriousness, my kids are right here. They were watching me, snuggling me, playing and using their imaginations. They benefitted because we watched so much less tv and they learned to read. They watched mom and were inspired to pick up their own books. Even Preston has jumped back into the habit of reading and it has warmed my heart to see that my goals and priorities have a visible ripple effect throughout my family(and yes, it can be positive!). Some days I read only ten minutes, some days it was much much longer, and some days not at all. Overall, I was able to be flexible with it but also enjoy the challenge. It made all of the difference.
I want to begin this review series by giving a little insight as to why I’m doing book reviews at all. I do not fancy myself an intellectual or someone who can tell you what and what not to read. I am someone who has been inspired to read for fun, to educate myself and to read widely so that my perspective can be challenged. Naturally, when I find my life improved by something, I want to share it.
I will break some of these books off into sections such as: Historical fiction, fiction, theology, psychology, relationship and miscellaneous. I’ll split it into two or three posts to finish off the end of the year. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to pick up some of these books and experience them for yourself!
So Here Goes Nothing
Here’s a list of the books I’ve read in the category of theology:
When To Walk Away by Gary Thomas
Is The Bible Good For Women by Wendy Alsup
Gay Girl Good God by Jackie Hill Perry
Gentle And Lowly by Dane Ortlund
Mother To Son by Jasmine Holmes
Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry
Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes by E Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien
Worthy by Elise Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Theology Basics by Phylicia Masonheimer
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis(audio book)
Good Boundaries And Goodbyes by Lysa Terkherst(audio book)
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero(audio book)
Motherhood Without All The Rules by Maggie Combs
Now if I could recommend you read all of these books, I would and I believe in you! But I’m going to categorize them, for the sake of realism and knowing that we all have only so much time on this earth and we must be selective with the books we read.
Top 3:
Gentle And Lowly by Dane Ortlund – This is a book I plan on reading again next year during lent. Dane is an excellent writer who does a wonderful and clear job at explaining theological concepts that are fundamental to the Christian faith. I highly recommend this book to any Christian. This would be a great read in preparation for Easter or whenever you need to remember who your savior is(and who doesn’t need that every day of their life?).
Theology Basics by Phylicia Masonheimer – If you’ve ever met me, or been on my social media pages or knew someone who knows me you’ve probably heard me talk about Phylicia Masonheimer. What can I say, the gal has inspired me! I would recommend so many other books/blogs/posts/podcasts of hers but this book is one of the ones I read this year and I found it to be so well written. To be honest, when I ordered this book, I thought I would keep it on hand for reference rather than reading from cover to cover but I found myself reading it after my time in the word each morning and couldn’t stop. It’s full of basic theological concepts that matter for our faith. It’s written with different theological biases in mind and gives you the room to do your research, rather than telling you what to believe. I recommend this small, easy to use book for anyone who would like to become more familiar with theological concepts that shape their Christian walk.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero – This book has been amazing and is one that I would say that every Christian needs to read. It helps break down our barriers and moves us toward a more clear understanding of emotionally and spiritually mature Christianity. It’s full of biblical wisdom and inspires some strong self reflection.
Perspective Shifting:
If you’re someone like me, you squirm when your strong-held beliefs are being turned on their head. So as you can imagine I’ve been squirming since 2020 and frankly, I don’t plan to stop anytime soon. Sometimes our strong-held beliefs are not truly biblical and are more formed by culture or our own pride more than we realize. What better way to grow in Christ than to loosen the vice grip on our opinions and let God change and re-arrange our hearts? So without any further ramblings, here’s a category to challenge Christians to see the dignity and diversity that God ordains amongst His people.
Gay Girl, Good God by Jackie Hill Perry – Jackie gives a vulnerable gift to us in the writing of this book about her life and the perspective of same sex attracted people. She helps us see them as humans rather than a problem and tells her redemptive story in such a beautiful way. I highly recommend reading Jackies story and seeing her testimony as a reflection of God’s glory!
Mother To Son by Jasmine Holmes – This book is a special look into the perspective of a black mother writing letters to her young black son. Jasmine is a skilled writer and someone who knows what it’s like to grow up as a minority in a mostly white church, as well as the daughter of a famous pastor. She conveys incredible love, sound theology and biblical encouragement to her son through her letters. I appreciate the vulnerable look into her concerns for her son. It is a privilege to see the challenges faced through another mothers eyes. A must read for those seeking resources that help them empathize and better understand their black brothers and sisters.
Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes by E Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien – This book, written by missionary pastors, gives insight to how our western culture effects how we read and interpret the Bible. Challenging readers to consider the original audience and allowing personal application to happen only after understanding the context and nuances of scripture, these authors are challenging our individualistic, western minds in this insightful book. Take the time to read this book!
Women In Ministry:
Worthy by Elise Fitzpatrick and Eric Schumacher – This book was a good work by Eric and Elise, whose voices I knew well before opening this book. Their podcast(also called Worthy) is where I began learning from them and what led me to their book. For those who have wrestled with their place in Christian circles due to being a woman or for men who would like to better understand how to serve and come alongside female image bearers, this is an excellent book full of questions that need to be asked and answers rooted in scripture. I am looking forward to reading their next book Jesus And Gender.
Is The Bible Good For Women by Wendy Alsup – Written from a complementarian standpoint, this book gives excellent biblical insight to some really hard questions that women have been asking about the Bible due to our changing culture and the harsh realities of the ancient world for women. Wendy helps bring people to a healthy understanding of historical context when reading scripture and trying to understand some hard to read passages of the Bible. She does a thorough job without answering all of the questions for you, giving you the opportunity to dig deeper in the Word. This book isn’t my favorite because I do not land heavily in the complemetarian view of marriage but it is, without a doubt, done well and lends a good perspective to how to read the Bible without misunderstanding and misapplication.
Motherhood Without All The Rules by Maggie Combs – I am almost finished with this book. It’s been on my ‘to read’ list for what seems like ages. Maggie is a lovely woman of God who’s testimony and motivation for writing the book were why I picked it up in the first place(listen to her interview with The Daily Grace co. Podcast). This book is a great one for breaking down ideas that we build up in our minds of what motherhood should be and replacing it with transforming gospel truth. It’s enjoyable while making us take inventory of our hearts in motherhood.
Miscellaneous:
Good Boundaries And Goodbyes by Lysa TerKeurst – This book will be a re-listen without a doubt. Lysa talks about emotional and spiritual health and maturity in this book with clarity and experience. If you’re someone who needs some biblical clarity on issues like boundaries, grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, Christlike love then this book is for you. This is a must read for all Christians.
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis – This book was riveting. In this fictional story you get a glimpse at humanity and Christianity from the standpoint of a senior demon and his apprentice in their attempt to cause a man to stumble and be ineffective for the Kingdom. This classic is eye opening and worth a read.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis – After hearing quote after quote from this book from various Christian speakers, authors and teachers, I felt that it was necessary to finally read the thing for myself. Lewis gives timeless insight to core christian beliefs. It is somewhat philosophical in nature which is not surprising considering the intellectuals at the time were well versed in this process of thought. All in all I found this book to be enjoyable and an excellent read for those who are established fans of C.S. Lewis or are becoming more acquainted with his work.
A couple years ago I wanted to re-ignite my love for reading. I was knee deep in diapers, tired to my core and didn’t own a shirt without a stain on it. Like other women in that position, I found myself wondering who the heck I was and wondering what I even enjoyed anymore. Although, there was a lot to that identity crisis and the depression I was experiencing, I found myself continually going back to some thoughts that I couldn’t shake; one of them being, “I was a healthier person when I read books regularly.”
I didn’t stop reading because I lost interest, rather, it was a progression of the thought that I lacked time and didn’t know what to read. As I began working right after highschool and no longer spent 5 days a week in a facility with an attached library. Naturally, I found myself reading less and less. It simply wasn’t a priority.
So as I made dinners every night, wiped noses and felt the existential loneliness that can sometimes accompany motherhood, I wondered how I would incorporate reading into my days of disorganization. I figured I would just start and then the habit would follow.
*Cue the chuckling of people who actually know how habits are formed*
Needless to say, I did a lot of failing.
My first attempts were to begin reading my bible again(I had started and stopped this habit over and over again as life and seasons changed). I woke up with a nursing baby every night and couldn’t sneak out of bed without him, so the classic morning bible study done in silence with a hot cup of coffee was out of the question. I began trying to read after everyone had had breakfast and I was sitting down nursing the baby. This was a fun game. He hated anything being in my hands because of course mommies are supposed to stare at their babies while they eat 100% of the time with undivided attention. So naturally when I broke my adorable 5 month olds rules he kicked anything I was holding out of my hands and off of my lap. So when the Bible kept flying across the room and my attempt at a healthier life along with it, I was as frustrated as a toddler with the wrong colored cup.
So I re-evaluated. If this is going to happen, I will have to create this opportunity for myself. So I would feed the kids, make sure the one potty training went potty, and two diapers were changed, baby nursed. Toys? Check. TV show? Check. Baby gate up? Check. *siiiigh* I can finally sit down with my bible and read.
As I sat down, opened my bible and sipped on a cup of freshly brewed coffee I was so thankful for all of my preparation. I had found the answer and I would now be able to read in peace. I really had gotten the hang of this mother-of-three thing, hadn’t I? I began reading when my son began fussing. He saw me from his play-mat and I wasn’t cooing over him. Who did I think I was? He began rolling toward me because who needs to learn to crawl when you’ve hacked the system? Immediately the feeling of being inconvenienced rose in me with guilt following closely behind. I decided I would persevere. I kept trying to read through the fussing. Then I smelled it, the soiled diaper. I decided to pause, change him and then get back to what I was doing.
As I began changing this smelly diaper my ears were assaulted with the sounds of sibling rivalry. I glanced at my girls who were about to engage in hand to hand combat. “You two need to wait!” I rationalized with the 2 and 4 year old…which obviously did absolutely nothing to stop the progression of their altercation. In a moment I found myself trying to quickly wipe the butt of the 5 month old who was crying and thrashing around(because what else would you do during a diaper change?) while watching the two toddlers go at it. I found myself yelling. At them, at me and ironically at the dog who was puking because of the anxiety that he experienced at the tension of that moment. So this is what I get for trying to do something different? I irrationally thought as the guilt and sense of failure sunk in deep.
I asked God in frustration and hopelessness “Why is it so hard? If you want me to abide in your word, couldn’t you make it a little more convenient? What am I supposed to do? And how about being a mother in these conditions? How could anyone come out on the other side of this not insane?” I was angry. I never pictured my life and motherhood like this. It proved more than I could emotionally and physically handle on a regular basis. Where was the joy? Where was God in this? I had asked him to transform my heart, help me be calm in these circumstances or even CHANGE the circumstances and He hadn’t. I felt so defeated. I found myself resulting to the knee jerk reaction of doubt. I knew God existed but He must not be pleased with me because He doesn’t answer my prayers.
Fast forward four months and the only thing that had changed in all of these circumstances was that my mental health was worse. I was undeniably depressed and stuck. I didn’t like myself and I didn’t have the skills on my own to move out of that dark place. Despite the fact that I had heard lots of negative rhetoric on therapy over the years, I was desperate and I needed to reach out to someone. I was so nervous sending that first email requesting an appointment, but I had no other option. I decided, as embarrassing as I found it, I would lead with honesty.
The gist of my message to her was, “Hi, I’m depressed, I don‘ t like my life and I am so angry all of the time. I need help. Are you accepting new clients?” She graciously responded and scheduled me as soon as she could. And just like that, I had reached out for help and I felt so much better. I thought about canceling and was so glad I didn’t. Three weeks later I found myself in her office, pouring out my deepest struggles and discontentments. “I am angry all of the time. Angry with my husband, my kids and our circumstances. I know God exists but I feel like I’m not hearing Him. I feel like He’s not hearing me. Or maybe He doesn’t care. I am so miserable. I feel like I’m stuck.”
This was the beginning of a journey, that at the time, I didn’t realize would last to the present. In the last three years I unpacked childhood trauma, co-dependent tendencies, and coping mechanisms that served me well in childhood but could no longer sustain me. So we got to work. It took a lot of painful moments of self reflection, digging up the past and sifting through shame.
Eventually I was able to understand why God allowed me to go through hardship that felt undeserved. Why I would have some prayers seemingly unanswered, ones that seemed like they would align with His will, so why wouldn’t He grant them? I began to understand sanctification in a way I didn’t grasp before. For the first time the concept of forgiveness and boundaries became clear. These important things I learned became the foundation of emotional maturity that I needed in order to understand spiritual maturity in a way that was completely revolutionary.
I understand now what I was too angry and overwhelmed to understand then; that to hear from Him regularly would be to seek Him in His word, not for the answer to my current problem, not to please Him so He would bless me(yikes), but to hear what He has been conveying in His timeless word to all His people. That He is God and that when agreeing to salvation we were also agreeing to surrender. This includes our childhoods, our shame, our politics, our family, our pride and our theology. He will take all of the things that you thought were right and worthy of holding with a vice grip and turn it on its head. All this so that we may be transformed, in the deepest sense, so that we become more like Christ.
To think this all started with some podcasts and the desire to read again. He certainly knows how to get the ball rolling, doesn’t He? He was answering my prayers, although I didn’t know it yet. It’s in the darkest valleys that we can grow the most, however, growth isn’t guaranteed. So we must keep doubting toward Him(as Bobby Conway would say). We keep asking Him the hard questions and bringing our doubts and praying “help me in my unbelief.” We keep asking for His wisdom and showing up in His word and in prayer and in repentance and He will reveal His love and wisdom in ways that we cannot imagine in and of ourselves.
I share this story as someone who felt shame over my story for a long time, knowing that I couldn’t measure up. Now I know that there is no more condemnation for those in Christ(Romans 8:1) and my story along with so many other believers is part of our witness to each other and a world still wrestling with shame and condemnation.
All this to say…
Short story long, this is my way of letting you know that I did indeed eventually succeed at reading more and being healthier. Although, my health cannot be accredited to reading alone, rather, reading with the intent to grow in Christ and heal so that I may become a better vessel. I learned to read my bible daily and it is my favorite habit. I also learned to read for pleasure again! And as I’ve talked about this in other posts, it isn’t because my circumstances changed(they have, a million times over but not for convenience sake) but because my perspective changed and I, by the grace of God, chose perseverance. So here I am now! About to tell you that I will be revealing in a couple of posts the books I’ve read in 2022 and what I most highly recommend, what I probably could have skipped and what was inspiring to me.
I am so looking forward to sharing the books that kept me deep in thought and entertained this year. I hope that this gives you a new book to look forward to or inspires your own reading list to grow. Or maybe it’ll inspire you to reach out for help and rest in His grace through the process of healing. Whatever it inspires in you, I hope you know that I’m praying for you as readers and that if you doubt toward Him, He will answer you.
Advent is here. The countdown has begun. If you know me you know that means that I’m giddy because this time of year is precious to me. However, it wasn’t always that way.
As my childhood years morphed into teenage years I found Holidays to be less appealing. They had lost their magic, probably in part due to the fact that Santa wasn’t real and I was a little bitter about that. Partially due to my tendency to be always a little depressed. So as time rolled on and I made my way to adulthood I found myself working weekends, Birthdays and Holidays. The beauty of Christmas time was all but lost on me.
It wasn’t until the Christmas after Preston and I said our vows at the ripe age of 20(a story for another time) that Christmas regained a little bit of the old charm for me. I began to see the beauty of it again. Since then we’ve been blessed with 3 children and Christmas has more than regained it’s old charm and beauty but I have found a new love and admiration in all of this. Specifically for the season of advent.
As my faith has broken down and rebuilt over the years my heart is more tender toward the advent season than ever before. Our Jesus, offering Himself in humility, to become one of us, takes on a whole new dimension after the last few years of studying the word and viewing the gospel in a new and all-encompassing light. Simply put, it just means so much more to me now than it ever did before.
One of my favorite parts about the anticipation and celebration of advent is it removes the after Christmas blues for me. Rather than finding the climax has come and gone and there’s nothing else to look forward to, I find that the new year is always a new opportunity. Lent is a time to look forward to. Walking through scripture and remembering Jesus’ earthly ministry is something to look forward to. He created the seasons for a reason. Our brains need anticipation, beginnings and endings. This perspective has kept contentment and joy more consistent in my life.
So with all of this in mind, how should we celebrate this season? I think the beauty of it is that it will be a unique celebration for each unique person/family.
Our advent season looks like us reading the Bible each night to our kids. Going through an advent devotional(this year we’re reading Prepare Him Room by Marty Machowski). We light the advent candles in our home and discuss what they symbolize.
We also value tradition. We decorate the tree together, we make Christmas goodies and we share them with friends and neighbors! We read our favorite Christmas books and watch our favorite Christmas movies. These are things that our whole family looks forward to every year.
If this seems overwhelming to you, I can absolutely empathize. I have been there. There were many years that Christmas was overwhelming to me. There were years that all we could manage were lights on the tree, no Christmas goodies and everyone maybe got one gift. There were years that were not fun and full of tradition. It has taken time and perspective to get us to a place where it made sense to lean into this time of year rather than resist it.
You don’t have to have extravagant traditions this season. This isn’t me pressuring you into stressful traditions, rather I would love to be an encouragement to you. Maybe this message can inspire you toward a season looking to the Savior’s willing sacrifice. His beautiful example of humility. His readiness to bless His beloved people.
As we continue on this journey in sanctification I hope that this advent season can be one of tenderness that helps soften your heart. One that reminds you of the hope that you have. A season that reminds you of the joy that you already posses in your soul. The time to place the King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Father on His rightful throne in our hearts.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will rest on His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
As soon as September hits I am the person who begins singing “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. I genuinely believe it. My parents did a beautiful job at establishing traditions and bringing them back faithfully, year after year. That is a legacy that I plan on passing down to my children; we have a whole season to look forward to and not only the beautiful anticipation that is sparked when we know tradition but the reflection that comes with the winter season.
I love that fall and winter kick off the times of year where it’s chilly and we can wear sweaters and sit with our hot cups of whatever we prefer and it invites us to have quiet reflective moments. Whether or not we choose quiet reflection in this season is a whole other issue(an issue that I will only tackle for myself and not for everyone else). We have an opportunity to choose to revel in this season as well as take comfort in it.
How does this pertain to homeschool? Fair question!
The answer: It effects the attitude we approach it with.
The newness and excitement of the year has worn off. We’re in the thick of it now. Now optimists, bear with me, I don’t like to look at it this way either but my seven year olds eye rolling and grumbling has made this evident. I must face the truth, the school year is no longer shiny and new and we still have a lot of work to do(I didn’t mean for that to rhyme but I’m kind of proud of it).
So what do we do when the grumbling has started, the student is not jumping up and down with joy and our smiles are turned upside down as we experience their broodiness? Unfortunately, we cannot control our little cherubs emotion(weird, right?). However, we can be resolved to have fun. This can be tough as the monotony of the day and other peoples unhinged emotions do not always make this easy. I would even say, they make it completely painful at times! So this means that our resolve, thankfulness and general enjoyment must come from within.
This is not to say, take an approach of fakery. Kids can sense insincerity from a mile away. It is to say, you must see to it that you are continually on your own journey of learning and taking consistent steps to health in your own heart. This is a marathon, not a sprint. If you start now, this journey will look so much better this time next year than it does this year. This piece of the homeschool journey will not feed our instant gratification(not unlike most other parts of homeschool) nevertheless it is still worth the time and effort.
It is no secret that my trek to health and stability has been rooted in Christ, so naturally, that is the approach you’re going to hear from me.
I daily seek to nurture my heart and soul by turning it over to Christ. I go to His word in the mornings as this is the time that works best for me. I get to feed my soul with the word that is readily and easily accessible to me(unlike our brothers and sisters in the earliest centuries of the church). I do this with the intention to read in silent contemplation. The reality of that is my kids wake up whenever I wake up, so my daily time in the word looks like kids digging into the toy bin first thing in the morning, waking their sibling, whining that I didn’t cut up the right fruit for them that morning and 101 seemingly useless questions all before 7A.M. I’m imagining you cringing at the thought(possibly relating) and saying “what’s the point” and there was a time that I would whole heartedly agree with the doubt and dread of trying to focus intently on something other than the children. However, here’s why I persevere in waking up early, reading in the middle of chaos and having to take 101 deeps breaths before 7A.M:
I’m creating an environment for my own mind and heart and for my children where I come to the feet of Jesus no matter what’s happening around me. That means I get to have time daily meditating on God’s word. God’s not surprised that it’s not always peaceful. He wasn’t under the impression that my ADHD self would be able to flawlessly focus through prayer and reading. He’s not disappointed. He saw fit to make me this way, after all, and to make my children the way they are. He also tells the children to come. The fruit of this? I am growing in knowledge and understanding of God and my faith is growing with that understanding. I cannot stress this enough; to know Him is to love Him.
The other fruit from this is that my 7 year old is seeking to read her bible on her own. I’ve never told her that she NEEDS to do this, she’s just doing it. Our example matters.
To bring this point back around: This is in no way to toot my own horn, rather, I am pointing to the one who makes peace, patience and joy possible despite the circumstance. He is why I can show up with an attitude of victory rather than defeat. And on the days when I do show up already defeated, He is the one who reminds me that there’s grace for me when I inevitably fail my kids.
Our Daily Lives
Now that I’ve got my ramblings out of the way, I’ll share a little about what our days have been looking like.
Recitation:
We have been working on recitation more actively over the last couple months. This varies from day to day. The only thing we recite daily is the alphabet and their sounds. Through this recitation we took Lucy from the beginning of this year not having letter or sound recognition to reading. She is now reading out of her first start reading books! We are so excited for her.
Sometimes we recite an old verse or passage that we have learned, sometimes it’s the Lord’s Prayer. Recently Cecelia memorized a poem called Frogs At School by George Cooper. She chose to memorize it because the poem amuses her and she was able to use Memoria Press Curriculum’s copy book to aid in this effort. My kids love the feeling of successfully memorizing anything and I find it to help with overall retention.
Manner Of The Week:
Memoria Press provides manner of the week discussion topics. We like these because we can spend 1-3 days discussing the specific manner of the week. It’s such a fun activity and I like to make it interactive and funny if I can. We all get some laughs out of it while making it memorable. Something else that we incorporate sometimes is Manners by Aliki. It’s a fun book on the what and what not to do’s of manners and my kids and I often find the lessons heartfelt and amusing.
Art Recitation:
This portion has varied greatly from week to week. We always have a famous piece of art that goes with the extra-curricular reading for the week. This means sometimes we only look at the art cards, learn who painted it and in what era and that’s that. Other weeks we seek to learn who the artist was and what inspired his most famous works. Sometimes our art project for the week is trying artistic methods that this artist loved to use. Again, this is subject to how much we have going on throughout our weeks/days and my own capacity for taking on extra. Some of our most recent art pieces have been, Starry Night On The Rhyne by Vincent VanGoh, All Saints by Fra Angelico, and Jungle with Lion by Henry Rousseau
Read Aloud:
This is by far my favorite time in our school day! We read some picture books each week recommended by our curriculum package but if you need read around ideas look for living books or check the Charlotte Mason reading list. We also love to include a chapter read aloud and poetry when we can spare the time.
Bookwork:
This is the time where we go through whatever school books we have assigned for the day. One of the big reasons I chose Memoria Press curriculum is the ease of pulling out the teacher guide and having an agenda already written out for each day that is designed to grow them in math, phonics, handwriting and other necessary skills. It frees up so much of my time and head space to be able to follow an already laid out plan.
These school days last one and a half to three hours depending on what the agenda is for the day. Sometimes we choose to roll some of our work into the next day if I see that my kids have emotional needs that I must attend to. It’s not perfect, we sometimes have to improvise but that is one of the benefits of homeschool. We’re adjusting to our kids pace and giving them the freedom to learn without the pressure to keep up with someone else.
I hope this Homeschool Journal encourages you. It’s for a laugh, a sigh of relief or opening a door to someone that you may relate to. I hope you know that our days are never streamline, but His mercies are new every morning, apologies go a long way and perseverance is the name of the game.
It’s painful and embarrassing to remember all of the ways in which I have operated in my own pride. Justifying my own sin, making up my own righteous rules for myself and others.
The most gracious thing God has done is showing me how I couldn’t even live up to my own righteous standards, let alone His. The refining process is painful but healing.
You might be cringing reading this. It’s uncomfortable to address, no doubt. However, as I continue to grow in Christ I have been repeatedly reminded of how important our stories are in displaying the gospel. Not because I am of any special importance in a world where 7 billion people have their own life story and billions more lived before that, many doing it more beautifully than I. The importance comes from the transforming power of the gospel. From a human wandering in their own made up righteousness, to recognizing the righteousness of God. From justifying our own actions, to justification in Christ. From living in denial about how painfully short we fall from goodness, to living in truth that allows us to rest well in grace and extend it to others.
As I read through the book of James I am struck by the powerful points this epistle makes. It’s one that reminds us that our faith must be accompanied by works. Does this mean we can earn our salvation? By no means. However, it reminds us that faith must produce fruit. We abide by the “law of liberty”(James 1:25)! Christ perfected the law. The law of liberty that states we are freed from bondage to sin and now we may be loyal servants to the one who saved us. We know that when we stumble, the law of liberty means that we are forgiven and justified in Christ(1 John 1:5-2:6) and we can go on to try again.
The law of liberty leaves no room for our pride. As a matter of fact, our pride(arrogance/self-righteousness) stems from our direct rejection of His righteousness and grace and replaces it with our “off brand” version.
James 4:6 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” This verse cross references Proverbs 3:34.
James 4:10 says “Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
This reminds us that when we take into account who God truly is in all his goodness, mercy and holiness we will be brought to humility remembering who we are in reference to Him. Instead of measuring ourselves and others against our own made up rules for life, we can see them in light of the gospel and what has been done for us.
James 2:10-11 “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder you have become a transgressor of the law.”
When we feel puffed up because “at least we didn’t do x,y or z like so and so” we are forgetting the grace that saved our souls, grace that must be extended to others because we are to be the hands and feet of the one who saved. We, in and of ourselves, are unable to measure up. Psalm 14:3 and Romans 3:10 “there is no one righteous, not even one.”
James 2:12-13 completes this thought process beautifully, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgement is without mercy for the one who shows no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgement.”
James goes on in chapter 3 reminding us how we cut one another with our tongues and then in turn praise God with the same tongue. Then in chapter 4 he addresses our quarrelsome nature that is born out of discontentedness and selfish ambition. It cuts deep because we know it’s in our nature to condemn when we have been extended incredible grace.
So how do we manage our judgmental selves? How do we abide in grace and extend it to others readily without watering down what God requires? It starts in the privacy of our own hearts! To tune our ears to hear conviction(conviction that we may have silenced with our own justification) and practice responding consistently with humble repentance. As frequently as we need to(it’s just about every moment for me). We continue in this by being in the word frequently so that we may know His character and His voice. We draw near in prayer. This cycle should be on repeat until we’re called home.
Something about the beginning of a new school year brings me a deep sense of satisfaction. It’s the time of year where I finally get to put into action the plans that I’ve poured and prepped over throughout the summer. It leaves me simultaneously excited and relieved.
I must admit that my other fascination with September is because it marks the beginning of fall(my favorite season) and then we go into my favorite time of the year. While I see friends sad to say goodbye to summer, I’m the jerk that’s drinking my PSL and gleefully awaiting the cold weather.
As for our first weeks of homeschool, they’ve been good. Did they go off without a hitch? Of course not. I’ll spare you the silly details of bee stings that turned into allergic reactions and mornings that went side ways for this reason and that. Our favorite distraction yet has been our chicks hatching under their mothers. My cute students spent a whole homeschool day sitting in the chicken coop. It’s basically a day dedicated to “field work”. I think Anna Botsford Comstock and Charlotte Mason would approve.
Chica Linda(our white Cochin) partnering with Nugget(our golden Cochin) to keep their chicks warm and safe.
So what does a school day look like when we aren’t sitting in a chicken coop all day? I’d love to tell you!
An example of our schedule:
• Morning Basket – this typically looks like us starting off with prayer and scripture reading. Then depending on the day we read some poetry or a book that is part of our theme for the week. Sometimes we will do some painting or craft to start us off. Once a week we attempt to go outside for nature study as a part of our morning basket routine. We also love to include the Manners by Aliki book. It makes us giggle while reminding us how to behave politely. 🤭
Basically morning basket(or the start of a homeschool day) can be whatever you decide. If I’m bored with morning basket, my kids are probably bored too and that’s why I like to add variety in the days, weeks and seasons.
• Recitation – recitation is just what it sounds like. It’s the beginning stages of learning how to recite things learned. It helps with memory and eventually the skills we learn here will give us the ability to speak publicly but also to remember verses from songs, poems and scripture that are important to our lives. The things the girls are reciting right now is the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23. We also take this time to say our alphabet and all the sounds and reviewing vowels and consonants.
• Book Work – Book work is what the girls are typically most excited for. They love getting their hands on some curriculum(the apple may not fall far…). For this portion of homeschool we use memoria press classical curriculum. A typical day looks like calendar time, phonics, spelling(for the 1st grader) and math.
The girls have about two hours of school from start to finish. Sometimes give or take a few hours depending on attitude and motivation. This gives us time to do chores, play with animals, garden and the kids have time to free play!
I like to tell people that this is a good schedule for us for now, but as the year goes on and life changes and seasons alter our schedule we choose to flow with it. This means sometimes we’ll add a short read aloud time to the day for a few weeks until we finish a book. This can also mean that we step back from the crafts and extra enrichment activities until we’ve regained footing and feel up for it. Flexibility will be your best friend in homeschool and arguably life in general.
As I bring this homeschool journal to a close, I want to share some things that have helped me have the energy and motivation to cultivate home and education in the way I have thus far. Not because my home/parenting/education choices are anything to aspire to, but because I believe that we all have potential to do and be beautiful things. Unfortunately the world we live in doesn’t often teach us how to tap into that potential, rather it tries to sell us things that will make life easier and more bearable without having to do the hard work of changing things. Although I am an advocate for not making more work for yourself than you can reasonably sustain, I am also a firm believer that the easiest way isn’t always the most beneficial in the long run.
So with that said, here are some things that I have implemented in my daily life to keep me going:
1. Being daily in the Word. Reading/studying my Bible has been life altering. You may have heard it all on this subject, so I won’t droll on. However, I encourage you if you are a professing believer, the least we can do in this Christian walk is remember that giving our LIFE to Christ is a full surrender, meaning we can make the time if it’s important. When we realize the importance of His word as the sustenance to our souls we will be able to re-prioritize.
2. Resting in His incredible Grace. Boy do I need this. And so do you, friend. I fail miserably so frequently that it’s a running joke of mine. I couldn’t be a perfectionist if I wanted to. I need His good grace that reminds me of who I am in Him, especially when I want to beat up on myself. So when you’re having that rough day(week, month, year) with your kids and you’re embarrassed at how you’ve handled yourself, remember where your identity lies. Go to your children/spouse/friend in humility and sincerely apologize, and then try again. ❤️
3. Making beautiful things. Before you get frustrated and tell me you’re not a creative, hear me out on this. I often think that the act of creating anything is such a basic imaging of our most high God. What a privilege to be able to do that while we do things like garden, cook, make a work of art or even just taking a space from dirty and dis-organized to clean and tidy. Even if you don’t consider yourself particularly creative, you still create things daily whether or not you realize it. This doesn’t mean taking on more than you should(only you know your limit). This doesn’t even mean doing anything to perfection. This just looks like putting our best foot forward in the tasks in front of us and not diminishing our need for beauty and order in our lives.
4. Boundaries with technology. What my mind is consuming matters for my time and my mental health. Sometimes I fall into unhealthy patterns with social media and what I consume on tv. I feel like most people can relate to this issue. Sometimes we don’t even realize how impulsive the instinct to check our phone until we’ve lost it. Or we think that if we could just sit down and watch something we’d feel like we’ve had a break. I’ve found this to be untrue for myself. So I set some boundaries. It’s hard to be honest with ourselves about it because social media feels like connection or like if I don’t show up there I’m shirking a responsibility(this may be part of your job and if it is, I empathize and encourage you to continue to fine tune the structure that you need to stay sane). I deleted the apps off of my phone. I check social media on my computer(I know 👵🏻)or sometimes I just download the apps back as needed. It’s something that I use with more purpose now and sometimes it’s something that I feel really comfortable without. I also just replaced the time I was watching tv with reading and other activities. It’s been a really good thing for our family. If this is something that you feel like you would like to do, just try it for a few days. See what happens.
I hope you all have a beautiful September. May your PSL be extra spicy and your school year be a blessing. ☕️📓
The Crunchy Vagabond 