Check-Off Lists vs. Lesson Plans

Well, it's THAT time again.......
time to gather up new curriculum and hammer out those lesson plans for the new school year.

I really don't mind; in fact, I kind of like the planning phase of school.   It's the following through and battling life, that throws me off!

If you've done this for any length of time, you know that even the best laid plans fall through and somewhere during the first few months, you WILL get off schedule!  It's just a fact!

If you're a perfectionist, this is HUGE, as it means you have to re-do your lesson plans, so that you don't miss anything and everything stays in order.    At least that's how it works over here!

But, this year we are trying a different approach  - Check-off Lists.  

Normally, I create Check-off Lists during the last few months of school.   This has always been a great motivator for my boys, as the lists show exactly what is left to do, before freedom!

Both of my boys have done extremely well with the lists and they motivated them to take control of their own schooling.    This is what I'm hoping for this year, as well.   Only, this year, we will be using them right from the beginning. 

What's the difference?

With Lesson Plans, you are laying out each lesson on a certain day, or even by weeks, and if you miss a day (or a week), things can get out of sync with one another.    Even with great manuals like Sonlight, where they have organized everything by weeks (Week 1, 2, 3, etc.), if you miss something during that week, you have to stay in that particular week until you've completed all the assignments.

Inevitably, this is what would happen to us!  We would sail through some things, but run out of time, or have to set something aside, due to LIFE, and get out of whack with the lesson book!  

I realize I might be the only crazy lady on the planet that is affected by this, but nevertheless - it bugs me!

But, in addition to this quirk of mine - when I have asked my kids which they prefer - Lesson Plans or Check-off Lists - they both prefer the lists.

This is an interesting little tid-bit for you:
I have two boys - each with very different personalities and different learning styles and capabilities.  Yet, when asked the same question, at around the same age, they both gave me the same answer - they want to see a "beginning and an end". 

In other words - daily Lesson Plans, to them, look like an endless sea of assignments!  But, with the Check-off Lists, they can easily track their progress by marking off each lesson, and see the end of the road.  

When I would give them Check-off Lists at the end of each year, the countenance of each boy would drastically change; especially with my oldest son, Ted (I only started this with Collin at the end of last year).  

He would be bogged down in trying to finish by the end of the school year, but to him, it just seemed like he was never going to get there.    Then I started summing up his remaining assignments in checklist formation, and he was whizzing through subjects with no complaints!   Next thing I knew, he was finishing entire subjects, week by week!     He liked to knock out each subject and then move on to the next; which made his pile of work get smaller and smaller. 

Check-off Lists are also a great way to allow the kids to take charge of their own schedules.
It gave them freedom to work in the order they chose, and at their own pace.   This is really important as they move toward the upper grades.   

This year, as we start off with Check-off Lists, I will help Collin out in the beginning; making sure he does a certain amount by a certain time frame.    The lists I've made are mostly laid out in such a way, that he will know exactly how much to do each week, in order to stay on track.    But, even within those boundaries, he will be free to work ahead in any subject; even finishing subjects early, if he chooses. 

Obviously, there will be glitches here and there, but that's how life is!  Whatever doesn't go well, we will just tweak until we get it right and keep moving forward.  

Here are some examples of the forms I'm using this year  (I've made Fall Semester forms and Spring Semester forms):

 

 (These forms were not easy to make! It took me a while to figure out how Pages (on MAC) works, as far as charts, tables and bullet points, so they are not exactly how I pictured them in my mind.  And as I transferred them to iPhoto and then to the blog, the ones with white backgrounds show up without borders, but I think you can get the basic idea of each of them.)


I have these in a 3-Ring notebook, along with a calendar for the year.   The forms for the Fall Semester are in a section and there is a 2nd section for the Spring Semester.  

 This is a really simple set up and may not appeal to everyone, but if your kids like "beginnings and ends", then this may be something to try.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and thanks for sticking with this VERY long post!

Book Review - "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard

This is not a book I ever intended to read, nor did I know it even existed, until I walked down a book aisle one day.    However, it caught my attention, because I recalled the case of Jaycee being found, and because I love true stories.    So, I decided to buy it and started on it right away.

This is not a book for the weak.  


The beginning of her account of captivity is hard to read; as are the graphic details she shares about the purpose of her abduction.      It is peppered with memories of the horrible things her abductor used her for, and it is very hard to read, considering she was an 11 year old girl, at the time.   

Thankfully, as the book (and years) go by, the situation turns for the better, as far as the graphic parts, and it is mostly about her surviving in the back yard, which was her home for many, many years.

This story will anger you and amaze you, at the same time.    It is unbelievable that for 18 years, her abductor would go to his parole meetings and parole officers would even come to his house, on occasion, and yet, no one bothered to look in the back yard.  

It seems unreal, but somehow Jaycee survived and even managed to raise two daughters in her back yard prison.    That is a testament to what a strong person she is.

I wanted to read this book, out of curiosity, to find out how one would survive something like this.    To me, it's just a miracle that she lived.   I feel certain God has a plan for her future.

If you like true stories, you might like this one.   In the end, she is found, and ends up with a community of people in her life, that really want the best for her and her family.

But, this was just three short years ago.  

I'm sure she has a long way to go, to erase 18 years of living with a monster.

I pray God will heal her and use her to better this world.  

Coming Home Day

Last Sunday this is what I documented........

This is Ted's car, packed to the top, with musical instruments and stuff for camp.

Over Everest is on a two week stint of leading worship at a few Youth Camps in the East Texas area.

They will actually come home today, from the first camp, just long enough to wash clothes, sleep in their own beds, have a little down time, lead worship Sunday morning, and head out to the next camp Sunday afternoon, for another week-long worship session.

And, I can't wait to see him!

Grown or not - I can't imagine ever getting tired of seeing my children walk through the door; knowing they are safe from the world, even for a short time.

I love the work that Ted does.    I love the people he's with.   I love the fact that God is using him and them, to spread the gospel through song and testimony.  

But, at the end of the day - I like having my family under one roof.

I know there will come a day - probably soon - when his roof will be in another place - but for now - it's here and that's just how this mom likes it. 

Thank you, Lord! 

It's "coming home" day!

There is a Fountain

"On that day

a fountain

will be opened to the house of David

and the inhabitants of 

Jerusalem, 

to cleanse them

from sin 

and

impurity."

(Zechariah 13: 1)

His name is

Jesus Christ.

If you haven't met him,

then you haven't

even begun

to live.

 

 

One of My Loves

These are some of the books

waiting on me.

It seems I can't read fast enough these days!

I love:

Fiction

Biographies

Self-Help

Finance

Homeschooling

Decorating

Mysteries

Devotionals

Christian Living

I will read fiction on my iPad,

but not biographies

or 

finance

or

anything else

I want to highlight in.

And I love to highlight in my books!

Books are a gift.

How anyone could NOT want to read,

is beyond me.

What are YOU reading right now?

Training Season

"Train a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not turn from it."

(Proverbs 22:6)

Funny how things work........

Last night I thought about this verse, as I was making a comment on a friend's Facebook status.  Then, I open my Bible study book today and what do ya know........it's the verse of the day!

Maybe God knew I needed to hear it for myself and be reminded that, though I have teens now, the training season isn't over, til it's over.

I don't know about your training skills, but I know that sometimes I don't train as much as I command and expect.  

I might show my kids the basics of something, but then I kind of walk away until the next time it comes around, and I'm frustrated that they don't know how to do it properly.   But, is that really training?

Training takes time and effort.   It's kind of like teaching, but goes beyond.  

Training is coming to a situation and repeatedly taking someone by the hand (figuratively) and walking them through the steps, showing them how to get to the desired result.  

Training is being there to guide, when they get off course; explaining where they went wrong and how to get back to where they need to be.

Training is having patience; knowing that it's your responsibility to impart wisdom and knowledge, as much as it's their responsibility to make an effort to learn. 

Here's what training is NOT:

It's not just showing somebody something ONCE and expecting them to "get it".

It's not just expecting a child to know how to do something, if you've never explained it to them.

It's not just barking out commands and then yelling when they mess up.

It's not just expecting perfection - even though your training skills stink!

Training takes time and might look like this:

1.  Introduce the task

2.  Talk about the desired result

3.  Demonstrate the steps

4.  Ask them to try

5.  Inspect their work

6.  Discuss the results

7.  Have them try again

8.  Reinforce something good they've done here

9.  Be ready to stand beside them a few more times for this same task

10.  Turn it over to them and rejoice in their success!

I've seen parents who don't train their kids to behave, much less, accomplish the smallest tasks.    Then I've watched in amazement, at the training skills of others and envied their tenacity.   I'll give you a guess at which kids are pleasant to be around!    It's not the untrained ones!

The sad thing is, I think we cheat our kids when we don't spend time training them.   Kids are so smart and the potential is built into them......... 

if only we would take the time.  

Support Groups

If you read yesterday's post, then you know I needed a pep talk.

I've been totally UN-inspired about school and the planning that I should be doing, for Collin's 8th grade year.

But, God was good and he gave me a little shove with His Word yesterday, and reminded me that I have a job to do, no matter what.

I also had some sweet comments here and on the Facebook Homeschool Support Group I belong to, which encouraged me.

Then I called my friend Jessica, who has walked this homeschooling journey with me for all these years (both of our oldest have graduated already), and she reminded me of my downfall - MYSELF!

Yep, I'm my own worst enemy.

I expect a lot more of myself than anyone else does and it causes me to set my standards way above what they actually need to be, to get the job done.    I always forget this about myself, until she reminds me. 

So here's a little list I've put together to remind myself that, while I can always improve, I don't have to be perfect:

1.  Don't trust other mom's blogs that make it look like they have it all together.   I'm sure they fail, just like I do.

2.  Life happens and at least with homeschooling, we're on our own schedule.  We can just pick up where we left off.

3.  Nobody's perfect. 

4.  There has to be a balance between schedules and grace (freedom).  Too much of one and not enough of the other, will make for a miserable home.

5.  Kids learn more than we think they do.

6.  If you feel unmotivated, just start working anyway and eventually you will have made some progress.   (Yesterday I started by cleaning off my school shelves and next thing you know, I was making lists of things I needed to do, looking over lessons, etc.)

7.  Read, attend conferences, talk with friends and let others motivate you back into the mode, when you need some inspiration.   Just be careful that they are real people, with real shortcomings.

8.  Remind yourself WHY your children are at home and constantly remind yourself that it's NOT ALL ABOUT ACADEMICS!  (Jess reminded me of some great things that have come out of having my boys at home - on a character and spiritual level.   It's not all about how smart academically they are - it's about character, first and foremost.    I needed to hear that.)

9.  Start digging through curriculum and catalogs and you will quickly remember how much you LOVE what you do!    It's like Christmas in July, right ladies, when you see the UPS guy coming down the road with new books?!

10.   Most importantly - have a SUPPORT group for yourself!  We make everything and every activity about the kids, but WE need a good group of ladies that will encourage us; talk us off the ledge, so-to- speak, when we need it the most.     If you don't have one - find one!  It's a matter of surviving or not.

So there you have it!   I'm actually looking forward to getting back to my organizing (loosely) and planning over the next few weeks.

I've started the ball rolling with setting our start date, cleaning off shelves, and writing down my goals for the rest of the summer.

If you are one of those who hasn't felt the sting of burn-out yet, then turn to the veterans you know and say something encouraging.

If you are a veteran and need a word to keep you going, I hope I've inspired you to take one step closer to another year.

Either way - let's all remember that this "calling" to teach our kids at home, is a "get to" not a "have to" and this is a privilege we don't want to give up.

I would love to hear how you get yourself motivated and what you accomplish this week!

Until then......I'll be here, working on school stuff:)

No Time for Being Un-Inspired!

 

 "A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing."

Proverbs 20:4

Ever had one of those weeks where you felt uninspired, unmotivated, un-everything?

If so, then welcome to my world!   If not, then count your blessings and keep on truckin'!

Normally, I am full throttle with ideas stacking up in my head, about various projects and things I want to improve, work on, implement - all kinds of ways to torture, uh, I mean, inspire and teach my family.      Last week - nothing.

Specifically in the area of Homeschooling.

Yes, even after 14 years of teaching my kids at home, there is still planning to do each year.    But, while 1/2 of my brain is telling me to get busy, the other 1/2 is being lazy about it.    

Actually, it's not that I'm lazy - it's that I am unmotivated, but with good reason.

(Here's where this post gets fun - for you, not me........)

I'm afraid of failing.    Yep, that's right.   It's happened so many times before (no heckling from my long-time friends, please).  

I get gung-ho with schedules, plans, curriculum, charts, blah, blah, blah, and it all looks great on paper, but the truth is........it only lasts a short while before it all goes south!

Either LIFE  happens or I poop out.   What's wrong with me?!

I'm a structured person; I love schedules and plans.    The problem is that I have a teenage boy who moves at the pace of a lethargic snail.     Why Lord?    Why not give me at least one child who hops out of bed each day, eager to get started?   Does this child exist?  That would surely make my job easier!

Trying to bring our two worlds together is almost impossible, yet, I know it falls on me to make it work.    Yay me!

So, maybe that's the problem - it all falls on me.   And after a while of pushing and prodding and finally turning into "mean mom", I get worn out.

But, even as I'm writing this, I know that is a lame excuse.  If someone else wrote to me and gave this as a reason to be uninspired, I would tell them how to fix it - fix your child!   Yet, here I am - just being honest and telling you, I've run out of steam.

I know what to do - I just don't have the energy to do it!

However, like with the rest of our trials in life - you turn to God and ask Him to show you how to turn this all around, and He is faithful and good.

He was faithful to show me this scripture in His word this morning and it hit me like a ton of bricks:

"A sluggard does not plow in season;

so at harvest time he looks but finds nothing."

Proverbs 20:4

Inspired or not - the job has to be done.   It doesn't matter how I'm "feeling", but what matters is that God has given me a responsibility and it needs to be done in the right time frame, so I will be prepared when the season begins. 

Whether I "feel" like it or not - school will start and I will either be well-prepared or ill-prepared and only one of those is an option.

If I take this privilege seriously (which I absolutely do), then I have a job to do and I need to do it to the best of my ability.

Will it be tiring?  Yes!     Will it be hard?  Yes!   Will it be worth it?  Absolutely!    

Don't get me wrong!  I am not burned out on educating my children at home.   I love being with my kids and I wholeheartedly believe this is where they belong.   I just need a fresh perspective, to inspire me and inspire them.  

But, in the meantime, I will do my "job" because I know it's the right thing to do and I'll keep praying that God will give me creativity, inspiration, energy, and blessings for being obedient.

When "harvest" time comes, I don't want to look around and see nothing.    I want to look around and see the the reward of plowing in season; of being prepared and ready.  

I want to hear those words in my heart "Well done, good and faithful servant." and know that I have been faithful with that which God has given me.

Pray for me too - I need it!

Book Review - "By Faith, Not By Sight" by Scott MacIntyre

For all of you IDOL fans - remember Scott MacIntyre - the only blind contestant ever, to be on Idol?

Well, now you can get the full story in "By Faith, Not By sight", which tells of Scott's amazing journey.

Blind from birth, Scott has managed to take a very challenging disability and navigate this world like there was nothing holding him back!

He played his first wedding while still under the age of 10, studied for a year in Europe, fought a life-threatening disease and still managed to make the top 10 of Season 8, of American Idol.

What an inspiration!

In this book, Scott shares intimate details about what it's like to be blind in a fast paced world.  He, himself, is a fast paced guy - singing and playing piano from a tiny boy, all the way to the big stage.

It's amazing to read about the way he can function; even in the most challenging arenas, such as his time in Europe, and then again, on the Idol stage.

One of the most endearing aspects of this book, is the way Scott's family takes care of one another.

His parents not only had to be around for Scott,  but Scott's sister was born blind, as well.   But, even with two blind children, who eventually would develop the same life-threatening disease, Scott's parents were everywhere their children needed them to be.

From beginning to end, this is a book that will inspire you to keep going.   It's a book that allows you to get a glimpse into the life of a very capable young man, who just happens to be blind. 

Scott is very honest about his feelings all throughout the book.  At times he was down; but most of the time, he saw God in each situation. 

His faith paid off and through hard work, determination, and the love of his family, he managed to reach his dreams - in his personal life, as well as, his musical career.

This is a great book; full of life and inspiration. 

I think you'll like it.

Soapy Kind of Love

I'm in love with SOAP.

I've always had a "thing"

for a sweet, clean,

soft,

 bar

of 

soap.

Can't explain it.

It's just one of those things in life that make me

a little happier.

This infatuation actually started when I was young.

I have memories of going to Gibson's (a store we had "back in the day")

and buying soap for my grandmother.

I would choose one of those long boxes of shaped soaps,

usually in a pack of four,

shaped like butterflies or flowers.

My poor MawMaw!

No telling how many of those I gave her!

I also remember buying little soaps for myself.

Mine were usually Teddy Bears, Ducks, and Seashells.

I remember putting them in the bathroom,

and being torn between

wanting to use them and wanting to save them.

Eventually I would use them up and that would be it for awhile,

until the next time.

Then I would buy a handful of new shapes

and go through the process

all over again.

I'm still tempted by soaps.

But these days it's the rough-edged, square,

homemade types that get me.

The ones that are "good for me"

like Oatmeal and Honey,

Lavender and Goat's Milk,

and other

concoctions like that. 

When I buy Ivory or Irish Spring

for the house,

I unwrap every single bar and put them in a jar.

 

See?

Doesn't this make you happy?

I love the Fels-Naptha

used in laundry detergent.

It's old-fashioned looking,

which I love.

Love, Love, Love

What simple, household thing makes you happy?

I would love to know there are others

out there

like me:)

What Shape is Your House In?

"Wisdom has built her house;

she has hewn out its seven pillars."

(Proverbs 9:1)

You may not realize there's a hidden gem in this verse.   Even Spell Check didn't want to acknowledge it as legitimate.  But, it's in there - waiting to be seen.

It's the,   not-used-so-much-or-ever  little word - HEWN. 

Hey!  I'm with you!  I had to pull out the dictionary and search for it's meaning, but when I found it and plugged it in to this verse..........it made perfect sense.

Hewn means   To Shape.    To Shape.     To Shape!!

When you apply that to this verse:

"Wisdom has built her house; she has (shaped) its seven pillars"  

you get a true picture of what a mom does in her home and family.

Think about the old saying "If mama ain't happy; nobody's happy!"  Well, you can apply the opposite charge, as well, "If mama IS happy; the rest of the house will be happy." (Not as catchy, but you get the point.)

As moms, we pretty much set the tone of the house.   DANG!  It's too much pressure!  I can't take the heat!!

But, as I analyzed this verse,  in addition to the verses in Proverbs 31 I've been studying, it's big!  

Yes Ladies!  We have a huge responsibility on our shoulders!

We are shaping those who live in our home!   We are shaping our household; our family, the future!

Taking care of a family and home is no small task!   It's not for the weak, as they say.

You can't be lazy about this job and I'm not just talking housework here.   

We are shaping the occupants of our home; our husbands and our children.

We set the atmosphere by our attitude, our emotions, our standards, our work ethic, our expectations, and the list goes on.

We can actually have an impact on the future of our kids, by what we model for them in the home.

Will we show them laziness, apathy, unhappiness, unreal expectations, etc?    Or will we show them love, compassion, joy, a working attitude, wisdom and courage?    It's really up to us, isn't it?

Taking care of our home is not "a thing of the past" as some in society would say.   It's not about June Cleavers and Carol Brady's and outdated values.   

It's still valuable!   It's the cornerstone of our kid's lives.    It's where they thrive or not.   It's where they blossom or not.   It's where our husbands feel loved or not.   It's a place of influence and it's a job.    A serious job.

So be intentional about your job and do it well.

And post these on a wall somewhere:

I am shaping people.

I am shaping habits.

I am shaping our home.

 What you do matters.

A Beautiful Weekend

 

As much as this rose stands out in this bouquet,

this weekend will stand out in the hearts of many.

This truly has been a weekend to remember.   In recounting it to you, I'm going to go backwards, starting with Sunday evening.

We all have those cousins that we know as young people, then we grow up and barely see them until something big happens - like a wedding or a funeral.    Well, Sunday evening we had the privilege of attending the wedding of one of David's cousins, whom we haven't seen in about 13 years.   He is a fine young man, and a godly one, as well, and we were so happy to see him join his life with a beautiful young lady.

They had an outdoor wedding in Galveston and it could not have been better weather (considering it's been raining all week).   Here is the outdoor gazebo where the bride and groom stood:

 

And her beautiful cake.

It was a beautiful ceremony, officiated by the groom's dad.   David's mom was reunited with family she had not seen in years, and it was just an overall lovely evening.

Reverse the day to Sunday morning - specifically Sunday morning worship:

There is nothing like sitting in church, listening and watching your son lead in praise to the Lord.   I will never get tired of watching God use Ted in this manner.      Follow that with a word that penetrates your heart, and that's what Sunday morning is all about.   Thank you, Lord!

Now, back up about 12 hours to Saturday evening.  

It all started because of the rain.   An Over Everest event was cancelled due to the monsoon we had been having all week, so we decided to have a little "get-together" instead.    Don't want to waste a good Saturday night, right?

So, many of us gathered in the Sasser's home - the band, friends, family, and even a stranger who needed a blessing - and we ate burgers and fellowshipped with one another.

Well, you can't fellowship with a group of musicians without an abundance of guitars in tow, so after dinner, we gathered in the livingroom for some casual guitar picking and worship.   Did I say casual worship?

Oh my goodness!  This was not just a casual worship!  This was an invitation and showing up of the Lord!

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." (Matt. 18:20)

It's hard to even describe what went on in that room, but I will try.   It will not do justice to the beauty of it all, but maybe I can give you a small glimpse.

Starting out with everyone gathered around, guitars strumming, voices singing, we just sang praise songs to the Lord.   From Darin, who was leading us, right down to his little 4 year old daughter, who was sitting in my lap, singing every word, as her daddy was.   Her 8 year old sister was sitting right beside me, harmonizing with her beautiful soprano voice, and just blessing me with every word!

The presence of God was in the room - on a casual Saturday night.    But, even though that would have been enough - God didn't stop there.   

Having slipped in, later in the evening, a stranger (to most of us) joined us.   She was in need of prayer and God's touch in her life, so Darin had invited her to join us (this is what it's all about people!).   She joined us in worship and thought that was all she was going to get, but that wasn't all she got.  

Darin stopped the music and asked her to come and sit in a chair in the middle of the room so we could pray for her.    This is a woman whose home is being broken by the chains of alcoholism.   Her family needs a miracle from God.   So we all gathered around her, laid hands on her, and prayed for her.  

It was beautiful.   One by one, the prayers that were lifted up to the Lord for this woman and her husband, were heartfelt and it was a sweet reminder of what we should be doing for one another - and for strangers.   The icing on the cake was that she showed up for church the next morning.  Praise the Lord!

When we were through praying for her, Darin called Ted into the seat.   My son - who's had some heartache this week; who's made some hard, adult decisions this week - needed to feel the love from his family and friends, and most of all, the Lord.   These are his brothers and sisters in Christ, laying hands on my son, anointing him with oil, speaking words of love and life into him.   First, his father, speaking blessings over Ted; reassuring him of what we think of him as his parents and calling on the Lord to bless him abundantly.   Then Darin - his best friend and mentor - pouring out words of love and life, into this young man that God has given him to lead.   Others prayed for Ted too - powerful words from his friends.   I hope he will never forget the beauty of those prayers.   It was so powerful.  

Others were prayed for, and one in particular was a young friend, whom we had just met that day.   She traveled a few hours down the road, to visit Payden, and now here she was, in the middle of worship and prayer!  But, she needed to sit in that seat.   She will be leaving for Puerto Rico in the Fall, to minister to the people there, as a member of YWAM.    A beautiful young girl, with a sweet spirit, going off to minister to the lost, so we prayed for her.    And then prayed over her friend, whom she brought with her.    What a privilege.

The night continued on as we put Darin and Terry's 8 year old daughter in the "hot seat" and prayed for her sweet little soul.     This little girl was the first to volunteer to pray at the beginning of the worship (hours before) and you could hear the passion in her voice as she asked the Lord to be with us that night.    Darin prayed over his daughter and of course, this was so beautiful to hear.   Then all the band guys gathered around Sterling and Ted led them in a prayer of commitment to protect her, as her brothers in Christ; to stand by her, as honorable men, and guide her.    It was beautiful.  

There were so many things that happened there that night, such as an 18 year old man, who has been given the gift of preaching, who brought us encouragement and reminded us of the power of our tongue.   To see and hear these young men, allowing God to use them, is just an amazing blessing.

I could go on and on, but there is really no other way to sum it up, except to say that God will show up if you invite him.

I imagine this to be similar to what the early churches did - meet in homes, invite the Lord in, worship Him, and bask in his presence.    No committees, no fake smiles, no forms to fill out, no business meetings to attend, no time to play church.     Just pure, real, worship and prayer for your brothers and sisters in need.      Oh, to think what revival could break out, if this is how we met these days!

Intimacy is what we need!!   Intimacy with God and intimacy with people.  This is the stuff that changes hearts!

I hope this post makes sense and gives you just a glimpse of what a body of believers can do, if we put away the nonsense of this world.    No, we don't have to have intense worship every Saturday night, but what if we did?    Would your family look different?   Would mine?

I know it's changed all of us that were in that room that night.  

I pray we will never be the same as we were before we got there.

"Holy Spirit you are welcome here......."

May God bless you this week and cause you to get intimate with Him.   You will never be the same.

I'm Happy!

This picture just makes me happy.

Rain, Rain, Go AWAY!

It happens every year.  People start talking about how "we need rain".   I think people around here are addicted to rain.  And we practically live in the rain forest.

The summer is our rainy season.  You can count on several days, out of each week, having an afternoon thunderstorm.   But this week it has rained every single day, from Monday up until this very moment, on Saturday.

And let me just say........I have a bad case of cabin fever!

Photo Day Ideas

After posting my July Summer Fun Calendar,  I received some questions about my ideas for Photo Day.

Here is a list I composed. There are also some great ideas you can find by searching "Photo Ideas" online.   A few of mine are variations of several that I found while searching.

Try these shots!

 Go 100 steps - take a picture of something interesting every 10 steps.

 Pick a color theme and only take pics of things that color.

 Creatively shoot a board game with pieces.

 A variety of signs (neon, retro, modern)

 Bad weather.

 Rusted objects

 Pairs of things.

 Things with a pattern. (stripes, plaids, dots)

 Pick a landmark - take pictures from all angles - N, S, E,W either
      facing the landmark or looking out from the landmark in all directions.

 Water - any body of water - (pool, lake, puddle, creek, dog bowl)

 Era’s - items from the decades - 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, etc.

If you decide to take part in this activity, I would love for you to link up here in the comments so others can see your photos!

Most of all, have fun and do it together!

Broccoli Cheese Soup in Bread Bowls

It's always a risk when you sit down to watch a cooking show........especially The Pioneer Woman!

It always results in the same thing................

I find myself cooking whatever she's cooking!

This time it was Broccoli and Cheese Soup in Bread Bowls - YUM!


**Find her recipes on the Food Network page, under The Pioneer Woman or in her cookbooks.

Warning - it's addicting!

Summer Fun - Explained

This is Part 2 of Summer Fun and an explanation of some of the activities on our July calendar.

Here is an example of our July calendar:

 

 After a few questions about the activities, I thought I would answer in a separate post and explain some of what you see here.

The idea behind this calendar is not to fill up each day with structured activities; it's simply to give us something to focus on - besides pure entertainment and lounging around.

My original intent when thinking of this idea, was to have a certain activity each day, which causes us to work together.   

Even in homeschooling (or just having kids at home for summer), we can get so busy around the house, that we get to the end of the day and realize we've spent a minimal amount of time interacting with our kids.  So, I've tried to come up with activities that will allow Collin and I to spend some intentional time together, focusing on something we can both enjoy.   There are a few exceptions, such as Math and Music, although I do enjoy listening to his music practice.   He's on his own with Math!  I don't step in unless he asks!

Each activity is at most, an hour long, unless he chooses to spend more time on something.   This can easily happen or better yet, it leads to other activities that are related.    For instance, I can almost guarantee on the days we ride bikes, I will go inside after our little adventure and he will find one of his sticks (homemade swords) and spend another 30 minutes outside doing his boy things.    That's exactly what I want him to do! 

On the Photo Days, we will actually go "on-site" and take certain types of pictures  (I can give you more info on this, if you ask).   I have an entire list of photo ideas that we will challenge ourselves with.  This one is going to be a lot of fun!

On Netflix days we will choose a movie, pop some popcorn and watch a movie together.

On Museum days we will choose one of the local museums or even one in Houston and spend a few hours there.

On Sundays I have "ASL Online" for the American Sign Language class I found online.   You can only spend so much time on this, as it takes some time to learn each sentence.    So, this won't take but maybe 30 minutes or so, but it will be fun.

Yogurt Day is simply a trip to Orange Leaf or another snack place, just to give us a focus and some time away from the house.

Like I explained in Part 1 - these are just ideas - things to focus on when we are at home and things to do together.     If Collin gets an invitation from a friend or something else comes up, we will put these things aside and focus on something else.     But, when the dust settles, we will have some ideas on the calendar to keep us busy.  

I hope this helps and answers some of your questions.

Please feel free to leave me your questions or comments and I will try to answer them quickly.

Thanks for reading!

By the way - Here is Collin's art work for today:

 It's the Titanic

(in case you couldn't tell:)

Summer Fun!

I'm wondering how many of you can relate to this:

In one short month of "no school", I've been reminded of just how quickly routines and productivity can get packed away with the school books!  

I've witnessed sleeping patterns turn from Early to bed - Early to rise, to "How late can I stay up?" and "Why are you waking me up so early?"

I know, I know........it's summer and the kids need a break!  Yes! I agree.   But, an entire month of nothing but sleeping, video games, TV, and .........well, that's about it........and I've seen all I want to see!

So, it's time to put a little structured FUN in our day.

Here's what we'll be doing for the month of July:

This is our tentative schedule for July.  Of course, it's always subject to change if a friendly invitation comes along or life throws us a surprise, but at least we have a guide to help us conquer those boring days when it's 100 degrees outside and the TV is tempting us.

I may be overly optimistic, but so far, it's working great!  I haven't heard The Disney Channel once yet today and Collin is sitting at the table surrounded by art supplies!  It's a good start!

What are you doing to get your kids off the couch?   Or do you think they deserve a full three month break?   I'd love to hear your ideas and opinions!

The Candy Man

Last week, on our little Anniversary excursion to Galveston, we stopped to watch The Candy Man, make taffy at a local candy shop.

The process took about an hour, but it was worth the wait, just to see the entire process, from start to finish.

 This was not quite the first step,

but actually the 2nd..........

pouring the heated (step 1) taffy

on a cooling table.

This table actually has cold water running through the pipes,

to cool the hot taffy mixture

and harden it, to just the right consistency.

 Once the taffy was cooled,

The Candy Man 

put it through a "kneading" process.

This was a tough job!

He's using a metal pipe to knead the candy,

before putting it on the "stretching" machine.

 This took some muscles!

He kneaded and turned and kneaded again,

probably about 5 or 6 times.

 

 Here he is, putting it on the stretching machine,

which it stays on for several minutes,

turning and stretching it.

This is what it looks like after it's been

stretched for about 5 minutes.

Next, it goes on this 120 year old machine........

Here he is, adding the chocolate stripe to the banana taffy.

Now he is stretching it as it turns on this belt.

He's getting it ready to be cut and wrapped

into bite sized pieces.

 He is feeding the end through this part

of the machine that cuts it and wraps it.

He is actually catching the pieces as they are wrapped

and falling into the box below

(you can see the top corners of the box here)

and throwing them into the crowd that is

standing around watching. 

And, the finished product.......

We bought a bag of the fresh banana taffy.

It was still soft and warm!

Yum!

I have to say......I was so impressed with the pride this guy had in his job.  You could tell he had mastered the process and made sure to get all the steps just right.  

How many of us take the idea of candy that serious?  We just pop it in our mouths and enjoy!

The quality of his work was evident in the product.

Thanks for what you do Candy Man!

Keep making it and we'll keep coming back for more!