My glimpse of home...

I love being at home - being with my children and husband - just being together.  I guess that's why I love homeschooling so much. Here is a glimpse of our home.  I love cozy and warm colors... comfy pillows... and nice foot-squishy rugs... :) I hope you all stop by Chatting at the Sky's glimpses of home - I am linking up with her on this post!

Home Education

Home Education is more difficult than it looks at times... We have been working on research papers at our house now for about a month.  Going through the usual - gathering information and resources - making an outline - making note cards- and then  - of course - starting the dreaded writing.  My girls are both pretty creative - one of them used to write me fiction stories everyday. Do you think she would like writing this paper... NO WAY. They both are dragging their feet like I am taking them to the dentist. Anyway - I am having to take a HARDLINE approach with their final due dates - no more feet dragging - no more wasting time... I want those papers... and I want them now!  Alright  - I know, calm down...

I like most every other mother - want the best for my children.  I want them to be able to write a unified and cohesive paper. To be able to achieve successfully when they go to college.  But, this month has really tried my resolve. OK - maybe it wasn't all their fault - since of course we always have a million interruptions by one of the little ones around here.  Since I have been a teacher for quite a while - I usually do most of the teaching with the exception of an online homeschool curriculum.  Whatever the subject - I am thankful to have the ability to teach my children...( it definitely saves money ;)  But this month has pushed my resolve - I believe that for next year's writing - we will consider Time4Writing.  I need an outside source to prod my dear girls along this path. And also to keep me from using drastic measures to get a rough draft! :)

Well, since this has been on my mind - I took a few moments to look for some good online writing resources. It turns out that there are LOTS of resources out there... Here's a sample of what I found:

High School Writing Course


One Year Adventure Novel - teaches story writing


Notebooking Pages - helps to motivate writing


Homeschool Writing Resources


A Homeschool Writing Blog


Homeschool Writing and Research


Do you have any favorite writing resources to share?? Please do..

Strength in Weakness

Ps. 73:26                 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength  of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Kinda feel like this lately??

I must say that lately I have been struggling with many things, and feel the "weight of the world" on my shoulders.  Do you ever feel like at every turn - there is a large and difficult hill to climb?  I don't want to come across like I am whining... yet, I must admit that raising children, being a mom, a pastor's wife, etc. etc... is not easy.  Today, I am feeling the heaviness of it.  And can only turn to one place for the strength I need. Everyone these days is carrying a heavy load - no one can carry my burden as well as their own... but my Lord can.  He has the strength I need to face these things - a vast supply... enough for me and for you.

So, tonight - though I feel weak and weary of the requirements on my life - I am strong - I can be strengthened and renewed by casting my burden upon Him.

I Pt. 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Are you struggling these days with the cares of this world?  Would you share your thoughts?

Tears are fallin...

Saying Goodbye

It is a sad day at our house... two girls had to say goodbye to their best buddies for 3 more months!! Yes, one of those was me. I have been saying goodbye to people I love for a long time now, you would think it would get easier. I went to college in Georgia, 800 miles from home when I was 17 - had to say goodbye to my family. I got married and stayed here in Georgia. ...goodbyes...Later, they all moved again -but now they are almost 900 miles away - in Texas. ...goodbyes... I lived near my best friend for 15 years, but 5 years ago she moved to U.K. as a missionary....goodbyes... SEE, I should really be a pro at this... but it still hurts each and every time you have to say goodbye to someone you love.

I am trying to remind myself today that God does everything for a purpose, and for His honor. God never promised us that this life would be easy. But, He did promise us the strength to be able to handle it. God has a purpose - and a grand one it is. My friend was needed at that little church in the country of Wales - because God had a plan. A whole family in their village has been saved since they went - what a beautiful thing. God is good - and I know that each and every time that I must say goodbye to my dear family or friends - it is for a purpose. This world is "temporal" or temporary - but the one to come - eternal - is permanent. The temporary "goodbyes" are just for a season - one day there will be no more goodbyes.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Now the God of hope fill you wiht all joy and peace in believeing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:4-5, 13

My New Habit...

Ok - I know I am not the authority on "couponing", but I have started making it a habit.  It is pretty exciting to go to a store and have them tell you that you saved more than you spent.  Now that's exciting! A friend of mine recently wrote about her new habit as well!

This recession has us really spinning our wheels... so.... about six months ago I started buying the paper on Sunday, clipping the coupons and then checking the items in our local grocery stores.  We have three near us and I look through each ad to see what's on sale that WE CAN USE.  I have to disagree with the coupon divas who buy everything they find on sale ... just... because... it .... is... on... sale and they have a ..... coupon for it!  I look for only the items that I know I will use. I particularly enjoy the stores that use BOGO (buy one get one free) - and when you have a coupon for it as well... woohoo that is big savings!!

I also want to mention that my husband is an avid hunter - so we save a TON of money by eating venison, and other meats (not anything weird :) that he hunts.  But I am a white meat lover, so I do buy chicken when it is on sale! 

 Then I go through my coupon stash ( a pretty pink little coupon holder that my daughter got me for Christmas - defintely a necessity) and try to match coupons to all the sale items that I want. I will also check couponmom to see if there is anything there that I can use.  I like that site because it has all the different printable coupon pages. Again - one stop! :)

To save even more money, I plan my meals around the sale items that I find at the store - yes, so I don't get my absolute favorite -  spaghetti - - every week... but I am saving money! Let me tell you - it is a big sacrifice. Nothing beats garlic bread and spaghetti - I really could eat it every meal... but that's another story...

THEN... because I have six kids and can't won't!!  go to 3 different stores in a shot - I go to one on Friday and then a different one on Monday or Tuesday.  We usually need more milk in the middle of the week anyway so it works great for us!  Shopping mostly sale items has been saving me at least 50% (often more) each time I go to the store... That is REWARDING and exciting! AND...Here is my proof!

Homeschool
Shopping
Coupon

Fruit Loops and Learning

Natural teaching moments are some of life's most precious treasures. Have you enjoyed reading with your little one only to have them call out a word before you get to it? Have you ever taught the colors to your toddler by using fruit loops? How about fractions and sharing cookies with brothers and sisters? Or my personal favorite - probability by using colored m&*m's.... yes, of course chocolate!!! But, I love the fact that homeschooling enables me to do so much of this with my children.  Granted as they get into Algebra and Biology there are not too many "natural" teaching moments... but the memories that we gain while they are little are so very precious.What greater joy could we ask for than to teach a child with love?

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 Jn. 1:4

Do you have some precious "natural teaching" moment you could share with us?

Best Friends, Quesadillas, and the Fruit of the Spirit...

Sure, I know what you are saying... WHAT? How in the world could those three things be linked... well, those three words sum up what I have been doing since my last post. 
My very dear friend ( a missionary to Wales, UK) was supposed to arrive this weekend, but suprised me Wednesday night at church. So, since then I have been trying my best to spend as much time as possible with her... which is soo great... but I have not checked my email or posted to my blogs in nearly a week... and let me tell you - my emails alone will take me all day to answer!  But I have to say today, I am just reflecting over the gift of fellowship that God gave us this past weekend.  I am so blessed to say that God brought this dear friend into my life when I was almost 9 and she was 8.  We have been great friends for three decades...(uggghhhh that makes me feel sooooo oooolllldddd)... and with each and every year it just gets sweeter.  God has never promised us this type of blessing, but I believe with all my heart He knows just how much it helps us.  Over the years, it seems that God has allowed us to be at similar "places in life" at the same time. What a blessing that is to be struggling with something and to talk and know that you are not alone in what you are feeling and praying about.  I really cannot express in words just how thankful I am that God has done this over and over again for both of us! 

Even more amazing that God gave me such a precious friend, is the fact that He has also allowed our daughters to be the best of friends as well.  When my dear girl comes with tears and heartache because her best friend lives thousands of miles away... at least I can empathize with her. BUT, We had the rare priveledge of being able to spend an entire day together this past Saturday - just the four of us.  It was so much fun - such a blessing - and sooo refreshing!  We ate several times together - of course chocolate was invovled - but had a great time eating quesadillas at a wonderful Mexican restaurant - at 8:30 at night - talk about indigestion! We giggled and laughed and cried and even took pictures of our craziness!  So much fun we didn't want it to end...

... Then this morning we had our Bible class with the children, and were reviewing the Life in the Spirit.  We had studied the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians as well as the qualities found in II Peter 1:3-9. As I reflected on this and the memories of this past weekend... I am made to be so thankful for the gifts of the Spirit.  I know that in and of ourselves we would be incapable of even having a selfless TRUE friendship.  But through the grace of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts we can have a TRUE friend that we are able to love.  Like a billboard I saw recently that said, "Pride is putting ourself first, love is putting someone else first."  I really don't know if I would be capable of having such a precious friendship without the grace of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that enable me to show love, kindness, gentleness, goodness, meekness... and God knows that I still fail miserably at times.  Yet, I am so thankful that through Him and only Him I can have these fruits and reap such blessings in a sweet and precious friendship! 

Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.