For Our Musically Inclined Oldest Son ~

Piano lessons have officially begun!

Gentry has loved music since birth, or so it seems.

For his first birthday we gave him a simple toddler drum set, and I think it was the only toy he played with for months.  A couple of years ago, we happened upon a vintage Kimball piano, and brought it home with help from a friend.

We've been discussing music lessons for some time now, and last year at Christmas we made the acquaintance of a dear man who has performed at the White House, at the request of the President, and at other times before governors and mayors.

We are certainly nothing special, and feel tremendously blessed that this man has agreed to travel to our home and begin to teach our son the piano.  He is a kind man, and seems to be a very astute, detailed teacher.

We have high hopes for Gentry's musical abilities, and are praying that God multiplies his talent and interest in this area.  It would also be a nice addition, at some point in the future, to our family devotional time.

Do you have a child that plays an instrument?  At what age did he/she begin lessons?

           Warmly,


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An Update on Learning to Read

I'm very pleased with the progress Gentry's made in reading so far this year.  Last school year ended well, with much emphasis on three letter words, and this year we've been enjoying Rod & Staff's reader series "We Learn About God."  Some of the words he's learned have been rather difficult, such as "everything" and "said" and "light," and he's been a real soldier, learning them all.  We're also still progressing through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

And yes, we "do" homeschool at the formal dining table, with the table pad in place to protect my tabletop... lol :)

(Remember to scroll to the very bottom of this page and pause the music first)

           Warmly,



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Sir Ken Robinson Discusses Education

If you have the time, this 11 minute video is fascinating.  Sir Ken Robinson shares some interesting thoughts regarding education, especially government education, and even discusses the increased amount of children diagnosed with ADHD.

Please keep in mind that I do not agree with everything stated in this video, but I do find much of it to be accurate and thought-provoking.  I would love to have seen some level of emphasis on the importance of the family's role in education, whether the child be in public, private, or home school.

I especially enjoyed the thought that "we should be waking them [the children] up to what they have inside of themselves."

About seven minutes into the video he briefly touches on the practice of  what I call "conveyor belt education" and it's implications.

Near the end of the clip, he discusses the importance of divergent thinking, and shares a study that was done with kindergartners.   Research found that 98% of the kindergartners excelled at divergent thinking, but their ability to think became more linear as they continued through school.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.  Keep in mind, I shared this video because I am passionate about education.  Real education.  Not rote memorization, not our government systems, not our standardized testing.  Education.  I especially love education when it places emphasis on the role of the family and the foundation of the Word.

I value education as a tool, and we must understand that is what it is; it is not a piece of paper to be idolized.  It is a tool to enhance our life, and, perhaps to some extent, a means to an end. 

I say this as a homeschooling mama with a master's degree, one who loves to learn and share, but believes our current system leaves much to be desired. 


            Kindly,


{Linked with Raising Homemakers}


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Protecting Our Children By Staying On Our Knees

A three-step strategy for raising our children and rescuing them from rampant sex and drug issues in today's school systems:

"Step one is to pull them from government schools that serve as hothouses for this kind of behavior and thinking.   Step two is to reduce lavish lifestyles so that parents work less and invest more time in their children, with one parent actually staying home to make the home a safe haven.   Step three is no television in the home.  Television has become hostile to the things most parents want their children to believe and embrace.  It is deadly to their moral development; it encourages disrespect for fathers and undermines those things that used to make families a strong, positive cultural force.  The government schools and the sex and entertainment industries aren't about to fix the problem.  The responsibility to properly raise children belongs to parents.  The state and various interest groups have no right to develop the moral fiber of a child and, in fact, they are speedily undermining that development."

-- An excerpt from a 2005 article written by a nationally syndicated columnist, Cal Thomas.

Mr. Thomas opens a very necessary dialogue here, doesn't he?

Remember, we cannot send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come back as Romans. 

What are you doing to raise your children so that they bring glory to the Lord?  What is the world doing?  What does the Bible say we are to do?  Search the Scriptures and see how He directs you.

There may be some wonderful teachers at your child's school (I know some amazing teachers and count it a blessing), but if the system is run by the government and there is no room for God, then that system is broken and in need of a divine healing. 

Surely there will never be a consensus on this issue, but it is a conversation that desparately needs to be had among conservative Christian families.  We cannot blindly continue sending our children to public schools as they are.  We must do something drastic, something different, if we are to effectively disciple our children.

This is a time for training our children, discipling them, preparing them.  They are not ready to face such extreme tactics of Satan at such a young age.... boot camp is not over, yet we send them out to battle, and they are being massacred right in front of our eyes.  Don't believe me?  Research finds that 88% of children raised in evangelical homes now leave the church by the age of 18. 

I refuse to sit back and allow my children to be one of these statistics.  My face is on the floor as I seek God's direction in every area of their growth and discipleship.  People may laugh, we may be thought of as strange, we may even be ostracized, but God has given us children so that we would raise them to be godly (Malachi 2:15).  We intend to do our absolute best.

Please pray with me that there is a greater burden for Christian, biblical education among our families, children, and churches.

I am on my knees.  Will you join me?
 
 Passionately Pursuing,


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My Thoughts From The 2010 Family Reformation Ladies Tea

On Saturday I had the privilege of attending Stacy McDonald's (co-author of Passionate Housewives Desperate for God) 2010 Family Reformation Ladies Tea, where about 200 ladies of various faiths gathered together to be inspired by such engaging speakers as Jasmine Baucham, Sandi Grutzius, Stacy McDonald, and Hope Ware.  Each of them shared their heart and God's Word with conviction and passion.

Before this tea, I hadn't heard much about Sandi Grutzius, only that she and her husband serve on the board of Illinois Christian Home Educators, but as she began to speak, I found myself soaking up her words like a sponge. 

She talked about our homes being a source of fulfillment and joy, about expectations of women in the workforce and in the church, about being busy with "good" things but not "God" things.  She shared her testimony, that she was once a very driven career woman, extremely busy, nearing the completion of her doctorate degree, working with Hillary Clinton's administration on health care issues.... and then God began to turn her heart towards home.

She shared some of the mental struggles she faced during this time, one of them being how Satan tried to keep her in the mode of being self-sufficient, relying on her own strengths and accomplishments, rather than trusting in the Lord and His plans for her.

And perhaps the most impacting thought that she shared was this statement from Charles Spurgeon: "Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong, but knowing the difference between right and almost right." 

How many times do we say to ourselves, "Well, it's not wrong for me to do ________ ."  Yes, but is it right, or only almost right?  Is it what is best?  Are the things that matter most - our husband, children, home - at the mercy of things that matter less?

These last few verses of Proverbs 31 were shared in the tea's program, and fit perfectly with what each speaker discussed:

She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

"Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all."

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

Give her the reward she has earned,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Oh, that we all could be like the Proverbs 31 woman!  I also love the the charge to older and younger women, found in Titus 2:3-5, and it was mentioned often during the tea as well.  If you aren't familiar with that passage, then I encourage you to spend some of your Bible reading time studying it, and possibly praying it over yourself and the women in your church.

Me (left) with June (right)

Finally, I want to share my sweet friend, Mrs. June Fuentes, with you.  Some of you may know her from her inspiring blog A Wise Woman Builds Her Home.  She is a treasure, a wonderful mentor in the area of home and family, and it was my pleasure to be able to sit with her and her daughters at this tea.  We are fairly new friends, only having been together "in real life" a couple of times so far, but I am enjoying her friendship tremendously.  Be sure to stop by her blog and say hello, if you haven't already!

May God bless you and keep you this Monday ~

   In Passionate Pursuit,


{Linked with Making Your Home Sing Monday and Gratituesday}


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Children's Books We've Enjoyed This Summer

Are you looking for good children's literature?  This summer we have stumbled upon a few wonderful books, and I'm excited about sharing them with you!

First, per the suggestion of a friend, we fell in love with The Squire and the Scroll: A Tale of the Rewards of a Pure Heart written by Jennie Bishop.  It is a tale about the importance of guarding your heart from evil, and my oldest son was absolutely captivated by it.  It is a Christian allegory of sorts, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Also, if you have a child that's afraid of the dark or afraid at night, I encourage you to check out John Trent's book There's a Duck in My Closet!.  It's a wonderful story of a boy who finds that various friendly animals come out of his closet to spend the night with him, each animal making the night more silly.  We adore the ending of this book, when the boy wakes up in the morning and blames all those silly animals for messing up his hair something awful.

Next, we discovered the authors Ingri and Edgar Parin d'Aulaire.  They are such gifted, talented writers!  We have fallen in love with their rich stories and real accounts of history.  These are wonderful "living books" for children! We've read through three of their books and are now beginning on our fourth.

The first of the d'Aulaire's books that we read was Leif the Lucky.  It is the biography of Leif Erickson, who was an adventurous young Viking explorer, converted to Christianity, and first discovered North America.  The story was interesting, and the illustrations beautiful.  Very well done.

Next, we went on to read Columbus, which is the story of Christopher Columbus.  I love what the Amazon Editorial Review has to say about this book, "The d'Aulaires traveled to Spain, Portugal, and the Caribbean Islands to research original documents on the life of Columbus. Their text reflects many little- known facts not generally included in the typical biographies of Columbus. Readers will learn that it was the saga of Leif Erickson that was one of the inspirations for Columbus's voyage to the East."  Who knew that Leif the Lucky was the inspiration for Columbus making his famed journey?

Most recently, we finished Abraham Lincoln.  It chronicles Lincoln's life from his childhood through his presidency, briefly touching on the Civil War as well.  What I liked best about this book was the little tidbits shared and emphasis on his childhood that other authors may have overlooked.  Many others have loved this book, too; it was awarded the 1940 Caldecott Medal.

Next, we'll be reading through Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. 

We have fallen in love with these books; they are full of colorful illustrations and engaging stories, and the authors use rich, compelling language, which is a rarity in many children's books today.  I'm tempted to begin a collection!

What books have your children enjoyed this summer?


           Warmly,



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Hear from other mamas at Frugal Friday, Finer Things Friday, Works for me Wednesday, Things I Love Thursday, and Steady Mom's 30 Minute Challenge.
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Creating a Homekeeping Binder or Household Planner

A couple of years ago, I made my own "homekeeping binder."  It helps me stay organized and on top of my weekly homekeeping lists, records, and reports.  Everything regarding "the keeping of my home" is in one easy place!

Though I don't always keep everything perfectly, this little binder has helped me tremendously.

The binder itself is from Target, and I think they still sell this style in their stores.  I added tabbed dividers inside, and included labels for home cleaning lists (broken down by daily tasks, with a few blank lines for filling in additional things to do), weekly menu pages, calendar pages, budgeting reports and spending plans, homeschooling misc, pantry list, price list, car maintenance, home decor ideas, Christmas info, and phone numbers. 

As I've continued to use this binder, I've noticed there are some tabs I use more than others.  For example, my menu planning and budgeting pages get lots of use, but I don't keep up with my pantry list or price list as well as I'd like.

The menu pages are a *huge* timesaver for me.  When I'm sitting down to plan the upcoming week's meals, sometimes my mind just draws a blank, or I can only think of the same few meals that I made last week.  Having the ability to browse through several past menu pages refreshes my memory and helps me get the planning done in record time.  Meal plans are laid out similarly to what I've shared here.

In the budgeting section I keep a print-out of our current spending plan, which I've printed using the reports feature in our Mvelopes program (this is an online, virtual envelope system for budgeting we've used for four years and absolutely love).  As we update our spending plan, I place the new copy over the old copy... it's motivating to be able to compare our spending plan now to what it was in months or years past, see the progress we made, refer back to a failure, and have it all at the tip of my finger.

Regarding the homeschool tab, this is not the place where I put our homeschooling records, worksheets, etc.  Rather, this is where I keep a few printed articles and statistics that help keep me inspired on our homeschooling journey, such as a copy of the article Ten Good Reasons to Homeschool by Dr. Greg Sherman (if you are a new homeschool mom, or considering homeschooling, you might want to check it out), and these encouraging statistics from the HSLDA.

Here are some additional snapshots from my homekeeping binder:

I also keep a clear plastic sleeve in the front for holding random clippings or small notes.

Do you have a similar binder or planner that you use? 

If not, I highly recommend putting forth the minimal effort that it takes to create one.  Whether you are naturally an organized person or not, this little binder can really keep you on task and minimize clutter.

   In Passionate Pursuit,

P.S.  Don't have time to create your own pages?  Here are two basic pages to get you started:

Menu Planning Printable Page
Home Cleaning List Printable Page

~ Want a sneak peek into my recipe binder, too? ~



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{This post is linked up with Domestically Divine, Frugal Friday, Finer Things Friday, WFMW, Tuesday Tips, Tuesday Tip Jar, and Steady Mom's 30 Minute Challenge}

Notes from the Christian Home Educators Conference {and a GIVEAWAY!}

About ten days ago, we were blessed to be able to attend a Christian Home Educators Conference.  Keynote speakers included Dr. Voddie Baucham and Steve Demme, with breakout sessions from other wonderfully gifted teachers.  Maybe you understand our excitement?

Walking into the conference, we laughed at all the bumper stickers and slogans in the parking lot; there's nothing like a group of like-minded families getting together!  Here was one of my favorites:

And our oldest son, Gentry, got quite a kick out of this one ~ Can you guess why? :o)

The conference was in a beautiful (and very large) church.  Everything was well-organized, the people were friendly, and we have nothing but good things to say.  Sessions included: Teach the Word of God at Home, Getting Your House in Order, The Socialization Trap, Cultural Apologetics, Character Building, How Education Effects Worldview, and more.  We left inspired and better equipped for this awesome responsibility!

We decided to stick with Rod & Staff curriculum, and purchased Gentry's grade 1 books for next year while we were there.  Any other Rod & Staff fans out there?  We used their Kindergarten set this past year and loved their content and simplicity.  I think they are perfect for an active young boy ;o)

GIVEAWAY!!!  Steve Demme was one of the inspiring keynote speakers at this conference.  I grabbed an extra copy of his book, "The Christian Home and Family Worship" just for one of you!  It's a short book (only 90 or so pages long) with practical advice and tips about how to begin and maintain a time of family worship in your own home.  To be entered to win, you have these options:

1.  Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
2.  Subscribe to this blog (and reply to the confirmation email you will recieve), and leave a comment letting me know (3 entries)
3.  Post about the giveaway on your blog, and leave a comment letting me know (5 entries)
4.  Share this blog on your facebook page, and leave a comment letting me know (5 entries)

The giveaway will end Friday at 10:00 p.m.  Best wishes to you!

  In Passionate Pursuit,





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Glenn Beck talks about the "Indoctrination of Our Kids"

While I cannot qualify 100% of what Glenn Beck states in this March 5th show, it is certainly thought-provoking.  It's worth watching with your children and discussing as a family.  He makes many insightful statements regarding recent trends in public education and government, and how they are affecting our children.

Watch the first ten minutes of the show here:



Then, after you're hooked (!), watch the remainder of the show here.

Teaching Your Child to Read

As a child, I can remember taking weekly trips to the library with my mother and sister. We’d return home with bags full of books. Lots and lots of books. So many books, in fact, that it seemed preposterous to think that we would actually read them all in one week.

It wasn’t unusual for us to read through a novel in one sitting. We read some rather lengthy ones, too; I can remember reading Gone With the Wind as well as it’s sequel, Scarlett. We read Jane Eyre. We read the Nancy Drew series. We read countless books!

We still love to read.

As a mama now myself, beginning to teach Gentry to read has been a joy. No, he’s not picking up any novels; he’s only five! But being here, leaning over him, finger under letter, as he slowly sounds out “cat” and “hat” and “dad” and “mom” is a treasure now buried deep in my heart.

We’ve enjoyed integrating the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, though we don’t use it every day. Our local homeschool co-op participated in a pre-owned curriculum sale last year and I found this gem for only a couple of dollars. Each lesson is explained well, and it moves at a good pace. It helps give us structure.

These little index cards have been handy, too, as we work at stringing words together to form simple sentences. I cut rectangles out of card stock paper, then printed (by hand) some short words we’ve been working on. After verbally giving him a short sentence to make, he must hunt for the words by sounding them out, then put them in order to form the sentence.

Teaching him to read, and read well, is very important to us. All future learning is largely determined by our ability to read. To understand the Bible, science, history, and rest of the world, we must have a hook on which to hang the information that is to follow. Reading is that hook.

Did you teach your child to read? What worked for you?


(This post is linked to Frugal Friday.)