Where are we going?

As preparations for a new school year slowly approaches I am reminded that I need to know where we are heading in order to know what our next move is. So how to I prepare for our next year? Well it is pretty simple...

1. Pray
Seek God's wisdom on where you are to go next. It may surprise you but He does have a say in what curriculum you use. Don't worry about what your friends are doing or not doing. Your family is unique and He has a specific plan for your family.

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

2.Have a plan of where you would like to finish.
When I first started homeschooling I sat down and made a long term plan. When kids are in a traditional school, public or private, parents know that they will finish with a degree enough to get into college (okay depending on grades). But as homeschoolers we need to be mindful of what they will take in their high school years. So I made her high school plan out and since then has based everything on that. No I do not know what college, if any, that she will intend but I do know that if it is her dream to go to some Ivy League school then I will make sure she has what it takes. SO sit down with you spouse and decide what your end product it, if your kids are old enough ask their opinion, but know that ultimately it is up to you, your spouse and God. My daughter knows what our end product is, some days it excites her and others she wants less. Keep it where you can find it and refer to it every so often.

3. See where your kids interests are
Look at your kids and see where their passions lay. See how you can incorporate those into your school. Remember we homeschool and can be flexible. If they like games see how you can help them learn while playing games. Each child is different so write down what each child is passionate about. You may want to ask or if the list becomes too long, observe. Let's not exasperate our kids by only doing that which we think is required.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but (D)bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4


4. Evaluate you choices
After you have your finish line in site, and have looked at the interest of your children, evaluate your choices. There are so many curriculums out there you can sift to your hearts content. The big thing is to compare any you like to your goals and your child's interest and learning style. See what will work with your family dynamics and schedule. Read reviews, ask other who have used it, pray, and then talk with your spouse. Remember that there is not one correct curriculum, as long as it fits your long term goals and the children then you will have made a great choice.

5. Decide
Yep, you are at that deciding moment now. Enjoy!

This journey we are on is one of discipleship, life long learning, and fun. Do not dread it, just have a plan and a list and love where you are at.

Finding ways to say thank you!

When you count blessings it is amazing how your eyes change to see the blessings. When you start you find big, obvious things to be thankful for but as time marches on you must look deeper to find blessings.

It is during those times that He speaks words that touch the soul. Words that will forever be etched upon our hearts.

May we look into the deep and feel Him etching words on our hearts that will never be wiped away.

Blessings #312-320
Dinner date with my daughter
Modern medicine, in small doses :)
Faithful prayers of family and friends
Words from the Lord spoken to the hurting
Blessing my sister
New ways of doing the same things
Saying yes to my daughter
Listening with my whole heart to her and seeing the joy in her eyes
Peace that passes all understanding

Beautiful Girlhood #12

Ambition

This chapter goes so well with ideals. The author explains that ambition and ideals are sisters. Some think they are the same but they are not. She also helps the readers see that there are two types of ambition. The first is righteous, seeking to reach the highest point a young girl can push herself to, the second is unholy, seeking only to push herself to do better than those around her even if she could still yet reach further. She goes on to encourage readers to have those ambitions but cautions them to realize that God will direct our paths. The author shows the readers that some childhood ambitions are not reached but that it is not a loss because God puts us where He needs us.

In a world that puts our selves at the top it is hard, sometimes, to teach our young girls "righteous ambition". The author explains and shows the girls in such a way that they will know to aim high and trust in Him. I love that she teaches them to work hard and strive for the top, not to put down any one but to see where they can go.

Scriptures:

Pattern for positive ambition:

Matthew 20:25-26

Matthew 23:11-12

Examples of positive ambition:

Romans 15:20

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

Examples of wrong ambition:

Genesis 3:5-7

Numbers 12:1-16

Isaiah 14:12-15

Do your kids have ambitions? Feel free to share.

Gratitude Journal

Continuing to count all my blessings #301-#312

Long nights spent laughing
New sweater
Heaters!
Movie night with my daughter
Stopping what I am doing to say Yes to a game with her
Ability to teach her myself
Grace
Missionaries in Norway helping my daughter on a project
His church
Songs that speak to you
Getting organized (somewhat)
Her excitement over finding books she didn't remember having

Memory Work Fun

Your word I have hidden in my heart,that I might not sin against You
Psalm 119:11

One thing in our school that we want to focus on is writing God's word onto our hearts. There are many ways to do this and some ways work great for our kids and well...some ways that do not work so well.

One thing my daughter loves is puzzles. She can sit for hours and put together puzzles, do work games or Sudoku. It amazes me how she gets so involved. So to keep with her love of puzzles I made her memory verse into a few different puzzles that she did over the span of a week.

I made her a word scramble, where the words were jumbled but in order, then she had a picture puzzle and then a verse scramble where the words were scrambled and then their location in the verse was scrambled and finally a cryptogram (I think that is what it is called.) I have shared them below, please feel free to use them. She laughed and asked why I made them hard and I just smiled, but in the end she completed them and learned her verse.

We still do more traditional ways of memorizing, dictation, repeating and writing but it is always fun to find a way to incorporate what they love into writing His word onto their heart.


What ways do you memorize scripture? How do incorporate fun things?

Our memory verse puzzles for Matthew 20:26-28

Picture Puzzle
Word Scramble
Verse Scramble
Memory Verse Cryptogram

Challenges

Part of homeschooling children is to make sure you meet their needs, well with gifted children it is no different. But to do this, at times, means you go rather quickly through a grade level. That means you need to buy double the curriculum. This is not always the case for all subjects but it can put a strain on the budget and sanity.
After years of homeschooling my daughter I have learned this valuable lesson. We are heading into our second semester and are moving to another grade level in numerous subjects. So how do we manager doing two/three grades a year...well of course through God's grace and wisdom, prayer (lots) and by buying used whenever possible.
I know this may sound, to some, that I push her and that she does not have any time to be a "kid" but that is not the case. There are days it feels as if I am running to catch up and then there are days we are tracking with each other nicely.
Gifted children are able to move quickly through things than others. Please understand that this ability can be hard for them and the parents and in no way should be viewed or treated as arrogant. This is how God has created them and we should rejoice in it as parents and teach them to rejoice and thank Him. For them they see they are doing "more" and do not want to feel so different. They also slack some and can become very lazy students. At times they will get strange looks/comments from those who are years older yet doing the same thing or they even may be ahead of the older students. They are shunned by their age peers because they talk as the older kids do. That puts pressure on them that emotionally they may not be able to handle. That is when we, the parents, need to come along side them and help them through it. We could shelter them but it is better, depending on age, to help them work through it and be able to enjoy being around others. These types of reactions do not make up all people, there are those who rejoice and love them for them.
As a parent I find this one of the hardest parts, keeping her occupied and challenged is an easy fix, for the most part, trying to help her deal with the feelings she experiences is hard. This is where the Lord ministers to her and I, and He reminds us that we were created with love and He created us this way and His approval is all that matters.

For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:12-14


Remember, gifted or not, we need to remind our children daily that they were made by a loving and grace-filled God.

May your challenges today be resting in His capable hands!

Beautiful Girlhood #11

Ideals

Chapter eleven looks at the ideals of the young ladies. She explains that what/who they look up to shows them what their ideals are. She asks them to examine what sort of woman they would like to become and then examine their ideals. In the end she goes through and lists biblical ideals that they may want to have.

I have to say that this chapter couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. With Hollywood, magazines and all the hype over stars it is so easy for girls to look up to the wrong people. We had an awesome discussion of some of the stars and why they are ones we need to pray for them but not want to be like them. This is something girls battle with, trying to be like those famous people. But it only leads to discontentment, insecurity and more times than any of us would like, eating disorders. As one who has battled anorexia I do not want that stress/depressed cycle for my daughter (or any girl). It was awesome to be able to see her realize that those young ladies were so lost and see her heart break yet turn to others she can look up to.

Scriptures:

Use these to see what His word says about goals for their lives.

Psalm 27:4

Philippians 3:13-14

Colossians 3:1-2

Hebrews 12:1-2

Love did come!

Happy Valentines!

This day is to celebrate love. Love for spouses, children and ultimately for Love Himself.
It is day to remind us of what Love did for us. Remembering that love kept Him on the cross and if we are to love as He did then we need to give up our lives for Love. Not just to love those who we find it easy to love, but to love all people.

If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails;
1 Corinthians 13:1-8a

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Today I remember what Love sacrificed for my redemption and I count it among the greatest blessing in my life..

Blessing #291-300

My redemption paid by Love
Love of my daughter
Stepping out
A love for all nations
Love Himself
Late nights of sweet fellowship
His stretching
The sweetest love letter ever written( His love letter)
Godly marriages standing as examples to the next generation
Handmade cards and big hugs

Homeschool Mother Journal #2

In my life this week...
I have gone out of my comfort zone and even have met new people!

In our homeschool this week...
We have finished one math book and now will be moving on. Also she has finally caught up on her Apologia notebook work and we are moving on to chemistry, after a week or two of some different science activities I have planned :)

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We are going to her 4H meeting this weekend where someone is talking about living in Austria and Switzerland (btw my daughter wants to travel and live all over the world) and her 1st sewing meeting.

My favorite thing this week was...
Going to a friend's house for a time of fellowship, good food and prayer.

This is where I met some wonderful people!

What's working/not working for us...
Finding a chemistry program that is good and affordable!

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...

Thinking of the language arts programs and trying to decide if I should switch or not. I have been looking and researching all types and was recommended one specifically for gifted children...just not sure if switching is a good idea!

Choices oh choices!

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
C. S. Lewis

Explore Test

I am not one for tests...maybe because I have always hated taking them, :) so I do not test my daughter unless I need to (Math and the state required testing).

Well a few months back I was introduced to a program for gifted youth and I knew after reading about it that it would be great for Rachell. It is the Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search(NUMATS). It is not a curriculum but more of a way to have them connect with other gifted children and explore different areas. So I signed her up and...guess what ...she has to test :( So I told her about it and what does she do???? She got all excited. Unlike her mother she loves to take tests.

So test day arrived, I gave her 5 sharpened pencils(yes I did over prepare her), a calculator,(which she had to learn to use, since she can not use one until algebra) and her snack. It was half a day and she loved it. She had fun but was very upset she did not know all the problems (it is a typical 8th grade test and was not to know all the questions, that was the point of the test).

We both want to see the results, two very different reasons, but have to wait until March. Then we will be able to decide what programs she wants to do and what ones will help her best.

Gratitude Journal

This weekend we had two car accidents. So we called it good and spent the remainder of the weekend in. It helped by snowing and being cold, so we did not feel compelled to go out. Sorry it is so short but I need to refocus on school, she has been sick for almost two weeks. Have a blessed Monday!

Counting blessings #282-290

minor damages
restful weekends
family movie nights
healing bodies
God's Intervention
His protective hands
reconnecting with old friends
slowly being undone and remade
the cleansing power of His word

Saying Yes!

"Yes" such a powerful yet simple word. Can I say it with my heart?

He whispers to me to "go", but I stand in fear waiting for a different direction. Can I go and talk to and get to know them? Will the fear I have overwhelm me?

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

Fear..it is real and it is weakness, can I work past it to live in obedience? Can I cry out "Abba Father" and know He hears me? It hides itself behind a wall of pride, oh how comfortable it is to just stay here.
But that wall must come down, down through brokenness. Brokenness that come by obeying.

He is calling me to obey, but at what cost to my comfortable shell? The cost of not obeying may be far worse than the fear of them that are unknown.
Will I take that risk of staying in the comfortable or will I answer His call with a "Yes" and leap into His loving arms and place my trust in Him and His living words.


Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
Isaiah 6:8

May we all take those leaps and land safely in His hands.