'Twas the Day Before "School"

'Twas the day before "school,"
and all through our home
was buzzing and busy-ness
wherever I roam.

There are no books stacked
in a backpack with care
only girls in the kitchen
baking with flair.

Recipe books are out
The creative juices flow
Cookies, and soup, and buns
in a row.

Measuring, and calculating
and managing time
debating and  serving
And cleaning up grime

Education is now
And it happens right here.
 It's fun, and it's real
And accompanied by cheer.

So when the yellow bus comes
it will pass us by
We choose to stay home
With freedom to fly.

“There is no school equal to a decent home and no teacher equal to a virtuous parent.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Loving

My heart was missing my little girl. She's up at the cottage with Grandma and Grandpa, having fun. Not the first time. She did this last year too.
But, I was missing her. My heart actually felt like it was being stretched toward her. I get the term heart strings. I could feel them.

Dave was missing her too. Actually we missed her before she left, but it wasn't getting better.

So, Dave took a day off. We had support in place for Monica morning and evening.
We hopped in the car once the support arrived in the morning, drove 4 hours to Haliburton and spent five delightful, fun, precious hours with our daughter. Then we turned around and drove five hours back home - we stopped for dinner - to arrive while Monica's evening support was still here.

A glorious day. A day of canoing and kayaking swimming and walking to a nearby rapids. And best of all lots of hugs. lots and lots of hugs.

So incredilbly worth it.
She's so loved.

A Flurry of Excitement

God has the steering wheel and He has turned the wheel toward Israel!
If He remains willing, our trip to Israel is a go in just over two months.
Granny, my 11 year old homeschooled daughter, and myself are now excitedly and busily getting ready.
From now on my Israel info will be on my up and running new Israel blog - see in the column to the right above the Compass Rose archives in order to link to it.

 

New Years Resolution - in August

As a Homeschooling Mom, summer is a time for planning, dreaming, preparing, and resolving to do things well come September.

As a Homeschooling Mom of 20 years however, I recognize that all my planning, dreaming, preparing, and resolving, is about as good as most New Years Resolutions! At best, it gives me some semblance of direction. At the worst, it will make me feel like a failure come the second week of "school."

Does that mean I don't do it? By no means! It is good for me to evaluate and reflect, and if only 20 % of what I hope for actually occurs to my dream standard, that is 20% more than if I did not dream.
 
So, dream I will, choosing to smile when we hit the mark, while choosing to refocus when I go wide.

Our Agenda:

• Study up for our trip to Israel
• Go to Israel
• Ballet
• A new Language Arts Curriculum
• A new year of Math - Decimals and Percents
•  Clarinet, Wind Ensemble, Band
• Half a day a week for her to explore her interests
• Exploring History (her favorite subject) through The Great Courses - continue working on Ancient History, and add a section on Explorers
•  Field Trips to the Museum of History on a regular basis
• Bible Study and Devotionals
• Continue with a variety of chores - a sense of responsibilty
• Reading through some selected books on subjects like money management, leadership, and a classic or two.
• Sewing lessons
• Love Learning
• Have fun together

The Purpose of Childhood

As a homeschooling Mom for the last 20 years, I have pondered many questions.

•     What is the purpose of school?
•     What does it look like to be educated?
•     What is success in God’s eyes?

Those are all great questions, but as I am preparing for our next year of homeschooling, I am thinking about another question – maybe even more significant. 

What is God’s purpose for childhood? 

All around me I can see childhood getting consumed with “filling up” and “dumping out - fill up with academics, sports, music instruction – pre-professional this, and competitive that. Dump out with exams and tests, tournaments and recitals.

Not necessarily wrong, but are we missing a more significant purpose for childhood?

Looking to Scripture I have found a few Scriptures that give me a clearer picture of God’s true motive for the time period of childhood.

•     Drive out folly.
•    Learn Scripture
•   Grow in Wisdom that leads to Salvation     
• Training in Godliness

Proverbs 22 says that folly is in the heart of a child and that through discipline this folly can be removed. 2 Tim states that by learning the Holy Scriptures from infancy Timothy became wise for salvation! Proverbs 22 also declares to parents to train up their children in the way they should go. 

These are the priority purposes of childhood.

As I re-evaluate our focus, time allotment and energy for this next "school" year, I shall endeavor to keep this in mind and not get caught up in what might be "good" at the expense of what is "best."

1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

On being Grateful

Dave woke up yesterday morning to a cold shave and shower.
 
Our hot water tank was busted!

But although we miss our hot water we are grateful we have water!
And we are grateful we have electricity to warm our water in the form of kettles and pots on a stove!

As I started thinking, I am also grateful we had someone to call to get us a new hot water tank.
And that they had one in stock.
And that they could send someone out the next day.
And that while it is being installed and we are without any water, I had learned from my parents at the cottage to fill pots so we had water to tied us over.

And now, I am grateful I hear the water flowing once again - even if it is not hot yet.

 

Wandering or Aiming

Maybe it's the mid-life crisis thing, but there comes a time when one doens't want to wander aimlessly here on earth just putting in time.  I hit that time a while back and God gave me a "life mission" Scripture. 

It doesn't tell me where to go or what to do or what tomorrow will look like, but it gives me a good idea of how to be.
 1 Sam 2:35
I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind.This promise is for Samuel, but the part that struck me was that Samuel would do according to God's heart and mind. This is my desire.
This allows me to always know when I am off track. This is my constant prayer.

The other day I  had a word picture that has helped me.
Picture me with my foot on the accelerator, but I am handing the steering wheel to God. 
Trust.
Movement.
Hope.
Adventure.

This will lead me to say yes to going on a mission trip to Guatemala, and the Lord being the One to stop it if I am not to go. He did.
Or me saying yes to going to Israel and leaving it up to Him to stop it if I am not to go.
Uncertain as to the result of that one yet.

I knew a man who lived for God fully. He was a full blown evangelist. You know how we might pray, "Lord, if you want me to talk to someone about You, point them out to me." Well, he'd pray, "Lord, if you don't want me to talk to someone about You, then point them out to me, because otherwise I intend to."

This was a man who had his foot on the accelerator and handed the steering wheel over to God.

On my epitaph, you can write - God finally put the brakes on.
Until then, metal to the floor - doing the heart and mind of God.