But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. - John Adams

Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom. - John Adams

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress. - John Adams

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other. - John Adams

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. - John Adams

Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide. - John Adams



I think it always prudent to look back at how our freedoms were forged in times where future choices about our nation are at hand. Studying about American history and the great sacrifices that were made to give us liberty is just what the doctor ordered during elections. Our family rented this wonderful HBO series last night and watched half of it. As I suspected, I did shed some tears. I wish the people of this nation still had the same ideals they once did. I find it totally sad that most Americans don't even know who John Adams was. I hope you will rent this great flick for your homeschool brood and share the legacy of a free country with them. What a treasure we have been given. I pray we will tread lightly and "appeal to heaven" for this next phase we are about to enter. I pray that we are still one Nation UNDER GOD when the counting stops in November. Where is George Washington when you need him?

Stop in at yesterday's post and read the comments. Leave one yourself if you like. I'm enjoying the discussion. I would highly suggest (especially if you are a homeschooler or a parent) reading my brief run-down of the "Convention of the Rights of a Child" (UN Treaty). I broke it down after reading the entire thing and posted the parts that disturb me greatly. I also wrote some commentary there to explain what is so offensive about it. I'm not going to post it in here because I'm done with politics. I'm soon to go to the polls and cast my vote here in Texas for early voting if I haven't missed the window.



I hope you'll have a super weekend filled with autumn goodness despite the cold and gloomy political cloud hovering over American skies. I pray to the God of Heaven that his hand will be guiding each vote, each count, each heart, and ultimately our nation as a whole this voting season and always. It is good to know that no matter what happens - He still has it all in his hands.


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I'm sorry for the drastic contrast between yesterday's light-hearted post and today's tragedy. I share this news with a heavy heart and a deep sadness for the family of this sweet young man. I could hardly sleep last night, waking and thinking of Marsha's grief. This morning I dedicated two pages in my prayer journal to all the things I am hoping for their family in these coming days. I wanted to dedicate this post to the happy memory of her son... the smile and life he brought to their family - the happiness that he brought... and the future he has already begun in Heaven.

We mortals can not understand the ways of the Lord - the timing of His perfect plan for our lives. It seems so hard to fathom a young child being taken so early, before he has yet lived a full life. No amount of wisdom about the scriptures can ease the grief of a mother's heart... but Jesus can carry and comfort us in our time of need.

Isaiah 57

1 The righteous perish,
and no one ponders it in his heart;
devout men are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.

2 Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death.

This is what my prayer is for his family... that they would be carried, comforted, blessed, and at peace - knowing that even if their little star has gone on to the heavens... his life was a bright blessing, and that he will be waiting for them on high.

Marsha is a dearly loved blogging friend of mine. Many of you probably know her. There will be countless tributes today to her sweet 'Dozer' and their family all around the blogosphere. If you have one that you would like to share, please leave me a link. I'll try and gather up the links to share them here for you as I find them.

TRIBUTES TO DOZER
Heart of the Matter's Sweet Tribute Post
HSBA's Redirect
Jocelyn's Request for Prayers
Super Angel is Heartbroken
Amy shares a Video of Christian (Dozer) Singing
SisLisa Shares a Special Prayer Request
Nikowa's Loving Tribute
Without Words at Joyful Chaos
Rachel's reaching out to Marsha
Lisa shares her Tribute to Christian
A Tribute to Dozer by Angela
Dawn's Prayers are with the Drews Family
Suzanne adds a Linky for Marsha and all who wish to share their post
Pat Asks for Prayers
Mommy Matters Celebrates Marsha and her Son
MandyMom Can't Imagine
Renae's request for Songs for Marsha's New IPOD
Amy shares her same post from HOTM at her own site
Until They Meet Again - by Hallie

Please remember her family in your prayers for as long as you can. They will need our love this year and onward.

Please read this article, entitled "How to Help During the Loss of a Child". It will give you valuable insight as to what you can do for the Drews family.

And Marsha, if you are reading... here's a poem that I read at my husband's best friend's funeral... he died when he was 27, leaving behind a 5 month old baby and a 2 year old - and a wife who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Just a few short months before he died, he had been baptized... and he did cartwheels down the aisle afterwards. That was the kind of joyful person Ken was. It was hard for all of us to let him go... but God called him home. I pray you will know in your heart that God loves you - and that 'Dozer' is smiling down - waiting to welcome his family home one day.

A Voice of the Departed

I shine in the light of God,
His likeness stamps my brow;
Through the valley of death my feet have trod,
And I reign in glory now.

I have reached the joys of heaven,
I am one of the sainted band;
To my head a crown of gold is given,
And a harp is in my hand.

No sin, no grief, no pain;
Safe in my happy home,
My fears all fled, my doubts all slain,
My hour of triumph's come.

Oh friends of mortal years,
The trusted and the true,
Ye are waiting still in the valley of tears,
But I wait to welcome you.

Do I forget? Oh no,
For memory's golden chain
Shall bind my heart to the hearts below,
Till they meet to touch again.

- Author Unknown

Cards or Correspondence can be mailed to:
David and Marsha Drews
c/o Rachel Harris
12830 N. Cypress Lane
Tomball, TX 77377

Right now the family has asked that if you feel led to donate, please donate to their church mission fund in Christian's name. As I get that information from the family, I'll certainly edit this post to include it. Marsha has just requested that we all continue to pray and remember her sweet little angel.


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The night before school starts...
And all through the house,
Not a child was happy;
Just frowning and pouts.

The papers weren't sorted.
Unfinished were plans.
Homeschool teacher wasn't ready.
She was wringing her hands.

Her desk was all filthy.
Co-op dues were not paid.
She was missing a math book,
And still old papers to grade.

Pile upon pile ~
Of things to complete...
Clutter to tackle ~
And people to meet.

It seemed if this school year
Was to succeed not.
And that's when it hit her ~
She then had a thought...

Maybe I'll start off the first day tomorrow;
After a back-to-school breakfast to share,
With smiles and discussion of goals for the school year -
But FIRST, a wholehearted back-to-school PRAYER.

~ by Sprittibee


I'm off on a wing and a prayer tomorrow... and I'm quite certain that is all I will need to start this year off well. There's time to tackle the "rest" later. I hope your school year starts well. All you need is HIM.

"When we started homeschooling, I felt as if I tucked a child under each arm and jumped off a cliff. Imagine my surprise to discover we had wings!" ~ Maura Seger

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." ~ Proverbs 19:21

This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go." ~ Isaiah 48:17

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." ~ Proverbs 16:9

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Okay, maybe it is all in my mind, but this time I seem to be having a lot more "symptoms" than last time. I got my perfect score on this little test at 7:00AM last Friday... only an hour and a half before Dawn and I gave our first conference on Blogging. I begged the husband, "Please, I just don't want to know yet." But he dragged me to Target Thursday night anyway. Amazingly, he was a lot more enthusiastic than I was. I had to apologize later in my prayer journal for my lack of joy. Because I do want to be joyful. Especially about this.

I think I was more shocked than anything - even with the symptoms. My heart was just having a hard time pinning itself to my sleeve again after our sad first day of school last year. So please, if you think about me this Wednesday as I go in for my first doctor appointment, say a prayer for us. My daughter is so excited she can hardly think of anything else. She has already claimed the baby and is going to "keep it in her room". She keeps telling me, "I think it is going to be different this time, mama. Don't worry."

I can tell you one thing... napping has become a daily event in the Bee household. Sometimes it is in the evening, sometimes after lunch... but it isn't a question of IF. Just a question of WHEN. Today after we ate lunch I was so tired I couldn't even make it back up the stairs. I laid down and drooled on the couch pillows while the kids did the dishes. Such is pregnancy in your mid-30's. Maybe Antique Mommy has some advice?

Whatever the reason we have been so blessed, I praise the Lord in advance... no matter how the future plays out. For I trust in Him.

And if you want to read some excellent inspiring praise today, please don't miss Ann Voskamp's ode to our creator over at Holy Experience. Ann is always busy finding the miraculous in the mundane - the opulent in the ordinary. I'm going to try and do some of the same (in-between naps).


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Sun sparkles silver on sprinkles of blue pool water... laughing children with heavy water guns filling the humid sky with chlorine mist. Satisfied and slow after a family meal - sorry to leave half of dessert on the plate. Sweet tea and summer. For this day we forget our troubles and remember what it is like to be free.

With great cost comes this gift. We remember those courageous men who put aside these happy moments of life to share in the goal of a common good for their brothers. We remember your sons who kept your smile and wondered if daddy would have been proud of who they grew to be. We remember your wives, seeing your face in the children as they grew year by year. Their tears carving out the meaning of liberty for all. We remember your daughters who wanted to marry a man like daddy. You live on in the monuments of history - the ideals of a people - the hearts of your kin. We only hope to be a people worthy of your service. A silent prayer lifts with twilight.

I hear a faint drum beating out across history with each firecracker... the cannon of war sounds. The rolling centuries hide in the shadow of pine and gunpowder smoke. Our heroes keep time ... stepping forward in brave duty.

The drumming continues to lift with rockets of color in the night sky. It reminds us. It is the heartbeat of the free. Without it we would cease to be American.


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Winds of change.

I think about the change coming on our nation should a socialist, anti-American, communist, prejudiced man take office. Gas prices seem suddenly trivial.

I think about the past year - the difficulties I can't explain. Why was this our hardest year to homeschool? Home in Texas. New house. Settling in. Me at my wit's end.

Sounds like both problems are great opportunities to pray. Because change will come. Change is the only constant.

I pray God is not giving us over to our apathy. Let our hearts be near to You, Lord. Let our eyes be fixed on Jesus. Make us stand.


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This post was originally posted at The Old Schoolhouse Company Porch when I did their tips for the month. I wanted to have a copy of it on my blog because I love my prayer journal and want to make sure I have this post somewhere in my archives just in case they move it or dump it one day. Enjoy!

Tip of the Day ~ Prayer Journaling

by Heather aka Sprittibee

Probably the very best advice I could give anyone (especially a homeschool mother) would be to start your day off with God. My kids remind me of this when we seem to get off track and the days start ending with melt-down rather than feelings of joy and accomplishment. The question we all need to ask when we feel overwhelmed or like we are failing is “am I spending enough time with God?”

Jesus told the parable of the vine and the branches to his disciples right before he was betrayed and had to leave them. He spoke of the vinedresser’s pruning. Pruning doesn’t ever feel good to a vine… but sometimes those feelings of being a failure or being overwhelmed will lead us back to the source of our strength – the VINE. We have to remember that the fruit we produce will never grow without us abiding in Him.

John 15:4b-5 ~ “No branch can ever bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

A lot of why we think we are failing and overwhelmed is because we ARE failing and overwhelmed. If we are not connected with the vine, those feelings are the clippers of a loving vinedresser that is trimming away our self-reliance, self-pride, and wrong-priorities. When we see that we can’t do the job of a wife, mother, homeschool teacher, friend, daughter, worker…. Without Him… the light goes on and we turn back to abiding in the vine.

When we were doing the Stewardship Unit with KONOS more than a year ago, one of our assignments was to ‘start a prayer journal for the family’ so that we could all pray together and see how God was working in our lives to answer prayers. This was an activity that would foster a sense of stewardship of our talents and time. I decided that it was a ‘keeper’, and instead of having us do a family prayer journal, I got the kids their own notebooks and set aside time for them each day before we start school to spend alone with God so they could write their own requests and praises. Some times we had lessons on what types of things they might pray for. Some times we wrote lists of others who we knew needed prayer. Sometimes we wrote poems or “Psalms” to God. Some times I even let them draw things in there (they enjoyed drawing what the throne of God might look like one day after we read a verse about it in Ezekiel). I have never corrected or graded them on this journal. It was something personal - between them and God.

Journaling has always come easy to me because I used to do it as a child. I understand that some people have a harder time thinking of what to say, so I wanted to share with you a few ideas we use while we pray in our journals other than just the ideas above:

1. Praying in Victory by Carol Ann Hon is a little booklet with tons of scriptures separated by topic (ISBN 609 993). It is out of print, but you can get a copy of it online for free at the link I have included. Sometimes we use bible verses to help us ‘claim’ God’s promises as we write to Him.

2. Sometimes we write down notes for sermons and then go back the next day as we pray and talk to God about what we thought of them.

3. Sometimes we use our chart from Moms In Touch International (31 Ways to Pray for Our Youth) and pick a spiritual character trait to pray verses about, asking God to build us to be more like that trait.

4. Sometimes we pray prayers from Power of a Praying Wife or Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. Both of these books are wonderful.

5. Someone handed me a copy of the PART prayer method and it is what I try and follow most regularly in my prayer journals. I wasn’t able to figure out where the idea came from, but when I went online, I did find this church website that explains it very well.

Here’s below is their advice (not exactly how my prayer journal – a simple notebook – is laid out… but this is very interesting):

Get a looseleaf notebook, paper, and eight section dividers. Write one of the following words on each divider tab: Praise, Admit, Requests, Thanks, Passages, Listening, Awareness, and Notes. You don’t have to write something in each section every day. Adjust the plan to your own devotional needs.

My PART

· P-Praise.

Copy a psalm or write a praise poem of your own on one page of the Praise section. Date your entry. The next day, skip a space and write a new love letter to God. Praise expresses your feelings toward God because of who He is, not for what He does for you.

· A-Admit.

On a page of the Admit section, write out a confession of your sins. Look back of the past 24 hours and ask God to show you where you have failed Him. Be specific in your confession. Then, open your heart to receive His cleansing and forgiveness.

· R-Requests.

Draw a vertical line one inch from the left-hand side of your page. This column will be used to date your requests. Draw a vertical line one inch from the right-hand side of the page. This column will be used to date the answer received. In the middle column, list your requests. Don’t hesitate to list your wants as well as your needs. Also include your intercessory prayer for others.

· T-Thanks.

Put in today’s date and write a thank-you note to God. Express your sincere appreciation for blessings sent your way, gifts given, trials permitted, and prayers answered.

God’s PLAN

· P-Passages.

Here you record powerful passages of Scripture that speak to you. When you find a verse that touches your heart, stop to look it up in other versions and in the SDA Bible Commentary. Write down your thoughts about this verse, including a paraphrase if you wish. If you limit yourself to one text per page, you can later file these according to the Bible book or topic; after several years, you’ll have your own commentary.

· L-Listening.

Take time to listen for God’s voice. Sit quietly for a few minutes and wait for the Holy Spirit to speak. Ask Him to reveal His thoughts and plans for your life. Write down impressions that come to you. Test your impressions against Scripture.

· A-Awareness.

Become aware of lessons God wants to teach you in nature. Spend some time contemplating a part of God’s creation; write down the object lessons you see. Try to find something beautiful or interesting in nature to record each day. If you sense a lesson for life, write it down; if not, just thank God for the beauty He made for you to enjoy.

· N-Notes.

Here you will include the notes you made of sermons or seminars. Take your notebook with you to church, retreats, and camp meetings. Date the page and make note of the speaker. Outline the main points and jot down Scripture references. Taking notes will increase your ability to concentrate as well as clarify the message the Holy Spirit has for you in each presentation.


Other sections you may want to include are: to-do list, goals, calendar, books I have read, ideas for articles I want to write, stories I have told (sermons I have preached), and dates to remember (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.).

Source: Becky Tirabassi. Releasing God’s Power. Oliver-Nelson, Nashville, 1990.

May God bless you through spending time with Him and teaching this practice to your own children each day. May you always abide in Him.


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First off, I'd like to offer this cute photo for Project Look Through. Dianne and Dawn have inspired me to join in the fun (with what little time I have left before our trip). This was what I saw when I looked through a family member's windshield the other day. I had to take a picture of it. Maybe I can send in a few more "look through" shots while on our big trip? We'll see!

SPRITTIBEE'S HEARTLAND-AMERICA ROADTRIP

I thought I would make this post the Dashboard for our trip. Here is where I'm keeping our list of things to get done and a place to refer to with all our updates. Hopefully if you have been to Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio or Michigan, it will also be a place where you can leave some comments about places that MUST be seen along the way. I'm also accepting emails to this affect - if you don't want to post it for the world, that is.


SPRITTIBEE'S 'BEFORE-WE-LEAVE' LIST

Sponsor logo on shirts (Can't - shirts too dark)
Paint front of new shirt for coach (He doesn't want one)
Get Kaden's hair cut
Do bills and checkbook
Clean house
Do laundry
Unpack and Pack suitcases (that's what I get for going out of town last weekend)
Check the weather online for our trip
Take addresses to mail postcards & Thank You's
Last robotics practice
Work on introductions
Map for marking on trip
Oil change and Sea Foam for vehicle
Batteries charged
Remember Tom Tom
List for packing for the trip
Gas mileage log/register
Buy snacks and drinks for trip
Pack ice chest
Substitute to Teach my bible class Wed.
Buy supplies for state notebooks
Pack school books/prepare state notebooks
Brief lesson plan for trip
Dinner with Papa John
Sponsor Photo
Bank, Grocery store
Mail birthday cards
Update calendar/check calendar
See if I can set up old Dell Axiom for email on trip (more trouble than it is worth)
Back up photos on storage drive (in case Kev forgets to unplug in storm)
Pack games, movies, music for trip
Get ideas on important stops to make (preferably free must-see places along the way)


SPRITTIBEE GUEST AUTHOR LINE-UP (so far)

I'll be having a few blog buddies step in to update you on our trip. Here are the ones who have agreed to post so far...

SisLisa of Apples of Gold
Dawn of My Home Sweet Home
Dianne of Bunny Trails


I'll be updating this post as we check off our list. If you have something to say, please drop a note in the comments box! If you are the praying type - pray for some sanity, peace, wisdom, and mad efficiency to be sent my way! Hopefully I'll be back in tomorrow! We are leaving Thursday.

Have a great week!

*updated 4/21/08 11:29PM
*updated 4/23/08 1:29AM
*updated 4/24/08 6:19PM from Arkansas


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Sorry for the lag time in here, but I thought I would throw you an update real quick before I'm sucked into the time-space continuum of this weekend. [I can't believe that I spelled that word right on my first try.]

Yesterday was amazingly busy. Aside from the umpteen-million emails I've been sorting through with HSBA [...which is getting a face lift soon - shhhh! Don't tell anyone I told you.], our local co-op, etc... we managed to get a MSBC homeschool day accomplished. Wanna see what we did?

Check it out:
Bible reading
Prayer Journals
Pray for our day
Devotional (on Samuel)
Math
Timeline cards
Language
Pen Pal letters
A Beka Penmanship
Science Reader
Visualize World Geography (current event on Pakistan, map on Pakistan, facts on Pakistan & review)
KONOS: Worksheets about Tabernacle, Breastplate, Priest Clothing & Read about/view online
Paste seasons graphic in journal (on earth's rotation journey)
Typing
Free reading
Robotics for 1.5 hours
Help mom teach K-1 Bible Class about Great Commission (do artwork craft w/ other kids)
Chores

The only things we didn't finish were our family read-aloud and PE (the nature walk).

Oh, yeah, baby! This new schedule rocks. You know what we changed? We made sure that chores were done at NIGHT (no morning chores any more besides bed/dressed/eat) and we make sure to PRAY FIRST. You would think my skull wasn't so thick that I would have already learned that in the past seven years of homeschooling... but I kid you not, people - there are homeschool moms like me that still struggle with even the most basic concepts - after 7 years of being in the trenches. There, now my secret is out. The tabernacle is a great thing to study about when you are feeling like a failure (I'm going to write a devotional on it some time soon). Just imagine the pillar of fire and smoke by day and night leading you - the walls of water standing tall beside you as you pass by through the dry bottom of the sea on foot... and then.... you... BUILD A GOLDEN CALF. Ahem. I think it is human nature to err. [Again I can't believe my spelling skills. My son is a great spelling teacher. He may have really begun to help me get my act together. I really think that he's the teacher and I'm the student sometimes.]

So with that as our day yesterday, we got home at 10:30pm after a late dinner and a stop at the grocery store for milk and catfood... and went to bed just before midnight. Today is off to a late start due to our bedtime challenges, but we are working on getting something accomplished. We're doing school Lite and are thrilled to have a little 'out-and-about' detox. Tomorrow we have Robotics meet, States & Regions Planning with a KONOS buddy, and a slumber party for my little girl to attend. Saturday we have a competition to go to for my son. Sunday we have our usual extremely busy schedule and a potluck lunch and dinner to cook for as well. I think I signed up for a poppyseed cake. Hopefully, come Monday, I won't be wishing I could have another weekend. They are altogether too short, aren't they?! [There - I finally misspelled something... alltogether. That's more like me!]

Have fun doing what you guys do best - whatever that may be. I'll see you tomorrow in here with a Field Trip Foto Friday!

Have a super day!



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Follow the link behind the picture and enjoy the very LONG Easter poem I found on the net. My favorite part was this:

In the beauty of that desert place,
The Savior of mankind
Faced all the ugliness
His charges could offer:
The pain, the hate,
The sin, the sorrow,
The waste, the wickedness,
The pride, the poverty,
The deceit, the ignorance,
The doubt, the fear,
The betrayal
--And even the
Loneliness--
Alone.

cross cross cross

As His immortal, righteous blood
Was spilled, like sweat
From every pore
And fell to the thirsty earth below,
I cannot hide
My honor and my awe
At His great love for me;
Neither can I hide
My shame,
Self-reproach
And regret. For
How many of those precious drops
Am I responsible for?
--As He suffered
The bitter cup,
Alone.

I'm praying your Easter is a joyous one and that the savior has you wrapped in love and filled with joy.

May you... find time,
sigh big,
laugh from down deep,
spring with your step,
and be wrapped by the arms
of your beloved ones.

May the light of Christ be in you.


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I've got a sickie here at the Bee Hive - Mr. Kaden is down for the count. He started feeling bad Thursday and is still not well. So far everyone else is still standing. Praying that we don't catch this stuff (because Mom has already had a bout with it last fall and doesn't want it again!). Last week at my bible class I teach, a little girl in our class came to church after getting chest x-rays and taking the day off from school. She sounded like she had croup. I was a little upset that she would come to class and infect the other kids, but hopeful that no one would get sick. So far Kaden is the only one who came down with it that I know of. I think the last time I got it was from a shopping cart handle. WASH YOUR HANDS, PEOPLE! Don't let yourself become the next flu-bug casualty! And don't take your kids to church sick!

Anyway - Morgan and the Daddy Monster are at church (bringing me home some crackers and grape juice for a home-bound communion today). Kaden is taking cough meds and playing with Legos. I think I'll clean the house and get ready for the week... and finish a project I've been procrastinating on.

Be sure to check out my latest "Heartstrings for Homeschoolers" article over at Heart of the Matter online homeschool magazine on March 8th. That's when the new issue hits the cyber-stands. Be sure to vote in the Texas primary on Tuesday the 4th, too. It seems like every day this month we have something on the calendar. All the more reason to use this "down time" caring for my sickie today - and get things done I normally wouldn't have time for!

Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week, all!


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One of the most difficult things for me with homeschooling has been sticking to a schedule and getting everything I plan accomplished. Even though I have homeschooled for over six years, I have found that the more I learn, the less I feel I know. Sadly, there is no perfect way - no magic pill - that will fix all your issues and make teaching at home EASY. There are lots of reasons why I struggle with my schedule... perfectionism (lists too long and goals too high), distraction (hyperfocusing/rabbit trails and not staying on task), lack of preparation (not gathering books or materials in a timely fashion or failing to look at the bigger picture to limit time on unit studies), etc. Of course, you also have to factor in moving, hardships, financial woes, and any other major life-situation you might find yourself in while homeschooling. Even over-scheduling outings, field trips, sports, play dates, and extra curricular classes or lessons (that are GOOD for the kids) can kill a well-planned academic year.

In keeping with the theme of January: "Resolutions", I decided to really work hard on getting our schedule disaster fixed. We put one of my new year resolutions to the test and revamped our school schedule. We prayed ourselves up and watched as God helped us get our school list accomplished almost entirely (and on time) for two days in a row! The kids really were pumped up since we have desperately struggled to keep on an early and consistent schedule since we started this school year. It was great to finally taste victory!

You see, for two years in Arkansas my husband worked nights, evenings, weekends, and got odd days off - sometimes not even consecutive days off. Our weeks were 3-4 day weeks and usually not normal schoolish hours. We often were starting school after lunch when my husband left the house and ending near 11pm at night before he got home.... then we would stay up until midnight or later goofing off with Daddy before bed... and wake up really late the next morning. Two solid years of that is enough to really ruin a person's internal clock (and make a homeschool mom feel like a complete failure). I knew when we moved home to Texas that getting back into a daytime routine was going to be work... but I had no idea HOW MUCH WORK it would turn out to be.

Aside from Mommy's first week of school pregnancy loss... we were off to a great start this year. Soon after we began, though, the frequent illnesses and adjustments to the pollen and allergies of the area began to slow us down. One of the kids had also become a grump in the mornings (I'm not naming anyone in particular... but you know who you are). Getting my routine to stick was hard. It seemed like every time we had a holiday, illness, field trip, or day off... the following week got more and more out of whack. Attitudes were slipping (even mine). Mom really had to fight to keep from sleeping in and staying up late on the computer. My brain wasn't wanting to turn off until after midnight. I wasn't spending enough time on preparation for the week. I was allowing us to fall into our old habit of going off on tangents instead of sticking to our topic. Library books started getting turned in late. Papers were starting to stack up and not get graded until later. The school year was unraveling...

I knew the answer to my prayers about school would come... but only after I resolved to change, spent time with the Lord asking Him to help, and corrected the issues that caused us to not get things done.

1 Corinthians 14:40 ~ But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.

God is the God of order. We have an orderly solar system and planet. What if God was late with the sunrise? What if he was late with the seasons? What if HE started allowing Himself to slip up on the job and we never knew where our next meal would come from? What if something heavenly DIDN'T get DONE? It makes sense to want to be consistent and reliable. Surely there's a way (better than my way) that we can follow to get some goals accomplished in our school day. Surely there's a way to motivate all of us to quickly work (hard) so that we ALL have free time at the end of each day. I was wondering how other homeschool moms had time to quilt and scrapbook and play Bunko when I was fretting over the things not checked off on my list and stressed until bedtime.

When school started up again after Christmas break, we fell into our old patterns. We had a rotten first week. It was a perfect example of why "OUR WAY DOESN'T WORK". So I sat the kids down and talked about our God of order and why we should be orderly like HE is orderly. A big part of why we should try and be like Him is out of honor for who He is. Honor happens to be our unit study we are on right now with KONOS. I asked the kids if it was honorable to be late to work. (No, Daddy would get fired.) Then I asked them if it was honorable to be late to church. (No, that doesn't show respect to God or others.)... then I asked if it was honorable to be late to school? The answer was no again. The children really seemed to grasp the concept and we all prayed about it together.

We talked about our frustrations with the current schedule. We talked about what was physically possible to get done and how long each assignment took. After we penciled in our new plan, the kids began to feel like they were helping out and really started to come up with some great ideas. Each of us saw different positives to the new schedule. Morgan liked seeing more time with Daddy in the schedule (and more time for art). She asked her daddy to wake her up so that we could do devotional and Bible with him before we started our day. Kaden was excited about getting thirty minutes of free time after he finished his chores; before we started school. We also talked about setting up a Lego self for him so he wouldn't have to clean up all his Legos before school started if he was in the middle of creating something. Mom liked the idea that EVERYONE would get free time and computer time... and we would be moving ahead at light speed with school goals. Looking forward to an evening walk before 5pm each day was something we all smiled about.

I'm sure our new plan won't be "perfection"... but it is a start. If we can manage to make it work with God's help at least 2-3 days a week we will be coming out on top. At least now all of us have an idea of what our problem areas are, and what we can do to get back on track when we falter.

To make things easier, I re-did the assignment sheet. The children and I sat down and used a notebook to discuss and brainstorm on how the day would fall in to place. They enjoyed helping me figure out the times and order of the subjects we would cover and when. After we had our rough draft, I updated the assignment sheet with the "bell schedule". It is similar to my rainbow schedule from last year, but much earlier and we changed a few of the smaller daily assignments up. Morgan liked the rainbow method, so she also had me add color to the list. It helps her to see the subjects grouped together by color if they are in the same hour.

The kids were amazed that we actually were able to complete mama's list for once (Kaden said it made him feel really good about himself). They were both thanking and praising God for the super days we had Thursday and Friday last week.

Here's what I did:
- involved the kids in the process to CHANGE... to get them involved, help them understand, and teach them character
- spent more time preparing each day (the night before, the morning of, and during the day)
- reordered the assignments to fit realistic goals and to better flow with the day
- added times to our assignment chart so that we could keep an eye on our daily progress
- remind the kids as the time is passing during the day so they can gauge where we should be
- pray with the kids about God giving us success

Here's what God did:
- listened to our prayer
- gave us the success we desired
- blessed the kids with the joy of a job well done and pumped up their self esteem
- showed me a better way to get the list checked off without a meltdown
- multiplied our efforts and improved our school year
- gave us hope that we can continue in this better way

We are all looking forward to getting up at 6am tomorrow. Funny how the tables have turned. Morgan even got up at 7am this morning, got dressed for church on her own, brushed her teeth, fixed her hair, CLEANED HER ROOM, put her shoes on, ate a quick breakfast, picked up her mess in the kitchen... and then at 7:45, she came and asked if she could get on the computer before church. She did it because she saw the benefit in getting up early and having a goal set in mind... she prepared ahead of time and accomplished what she set out for. That is what I have been praying for them... that they would find the desire INSIDE of themselves to please God and their parents... and to feel GOOD about their assignments JUST BECAUSE THEY worked hard and got them done.

I'm thrilled that I am seeing my scheduling prayers answered. I'll let you know how the rest of the school year goes. If we can have more days like last Thursday and Friday, we might earn ourselves a REAL 2.5 month summer this year! Boy, wouldn't that be a blessing?!

Check back tomorrow and I'll share the actual schedule with you...


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Buzz Words: Resolutions, Schedule, Goals, Getting Things Done, Personal, Teaching, Homeschool, Christian, Prayer

Labels: burnout, getting-it-done, parenting, prayers, scheduling, teaching

For years I have been a Compassion International sponsor. I sponsor a little boy in India. His mother is a maid and they can barely afford to eat. Compassion feeds him and helps him with the cost of clothing and school supplies. They give him a Christmas gift each year and a birthday gift. They ensure his success by providing him with a Christian education and summer/field trip opportunities. They nurture him in his own environment... they love him in a way that is hard for someone on the outside (like me) to do. The only involvement that is required of me is to write to him as often as I can and to send less than 35$ a month towards meeting his educational and physical needs.

The great thing about Compassion is that I get letters from my sponsored child. He calls me his auntie. He loves to get notes from my kids and always calls them his brother and sister. He treasures our photos and draws us pictures. He enjoys getting educational information about America and learning about our culture, customs and holidays. Writing to him has been an important part of our homeschool adventure through the years. I couldn't recommend Compassion enough to all homeschool parents!

Each year Compassion hosts a "Compassion Sunday" and asks for prayers, donations and new sponsors for the children around the world who are in need of help. The official Compassion Sunday 2008 date is April 13th... but sponsors (like me) and churches are encouraged to pick a date that works for them if that date doesn't work. Any day is a good day to sponsor a child if you don't already sponsor one. Every day is a good time to pray for Compassion and for your child that you already sponsor. Remembering others in prayer is a great way to teach your kids to think beyond themselves and about God's purpose for them as Christians.

Not only do you get the benefits of feeling as if you are doing something to help those in need through Compassion, but your kids will also be able to learn more about the country/culture that your sponsored child lives in. We have a link to India now that we did not have before. Often times when we study geography, the kids will look to see how far the country they are learning about is from their "brother" in India. Compassion makes geography personal.

If you don't have a sponsored child and there is some way you can bless the needy with less than 35$ a month, I encourage you to check out their website and look through the photos of children waiting for sponsors. Chances are, like me, you will fall in love with one of them and your life will never again be the same!


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I'm still working on the "list". Sorry for the silence in here. Thanks for being patient. I'm wondering where the weekend went... because I haven't stopped since I got home from vacation over the holidays. I'm feeling rather frazzled and we are taking a vacation day tomorrow from school... which is really sad, considering that this is only the second week of January. Hopefully this isn't an indication of how the "new year" or the second half of school this year will be 'turning out'.

Prayers are coveted as we try and get our groove back! Hope your January is blessed and productive. Please say a prayer for my friend Jennifer as well (she just had major surgery and has 4 little babies at home to care for).

I'll be back in tomorrow with a regular post... and hopefully a whole slew of items to cross off on that nasty list!

Labels: burnout, getting-it-done, motherhood, parenting, prayers

From the Miriam Webster Online Dictionary (emphasis mine):

Main Entry:
res·o·lu·tion

Pronunciation:ˌre-zə-ˈlü-shən\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English resolucioun, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French resolucion, from Latin resolution-, resolutio, from resolvere

Date: 14th century

1: the act or process of resolving: as a: the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones b: the act of answering : solving c: the act of determining d: the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance e: the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents f (1): the division of a prosodic element into its component parts (2): the substitution in Greek or Latin prosody of two short syllables for a long syllable g: the analysis of a vector into two or more vectors of which it is the sum

2: the subsidence of a pathological state (as inflammation)

3 a: something that is resolved ; "made a resolution to mend my ways"; b: firmness of resolve

4: a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent voted by an official body or assembled group

5: the point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out

6 a: the process or capability of making distinguishable the individual parts of an object, closely adjacent optical images, or sources of light b: a measure of the sharpness of an image or of the fineness with which a device (as a video display, printer, or scanner) can produce or record such an image usually expressed as the total number or density of pixels in the image <a resolution of 1200 dots per inch;

synonyms see courage

It isn't often that a dictionary entry can evoke me to sit and write down my thoughts about it. You see, I have ALWAYS made resolutions on New Years as often as I can remember. It was just something we did. A tradition. Not often did I ever KEEP my resolutions, though... and that seemed to be just as much of a tradition as making them.

As I have gotten older, I still make 'resolutions', but I have begun to think of them in different terms. Let's break it down according to the definition, shall we?

1. the act of resolving -
You have to choose to change if you see an area in your life that needs to be fixed. There has to be a choice - so in this sense, I'm in total agreement with having 'resolution'.

1a. the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones -
Here is where I think many people that make New Years resolutions fail. We start off with a grand idea (like loosing 20 lbs. or learning Italian) and we never stop to break it down into SMALL ATTAINABLE STEPS. Simplifying the process breeds the success that we are after. Wouldn't you agree? Just because you haven't lost the 20 lbs. at the end of your first week into 2008 doesn't mean you can give up and start eating desert every day because 'you are doomed to fail'. That is stinkin' thinkin'. Likewise, having desert ONCE doesn't mean you are "off the bandwaggon"... therefore excused from TRYING to eat right the rest of the year, either. The key to this step is "analyzing" - what is probable and possible and HOW can you make forward progress without giving up?

1b. the act of answering: solving -
While a resolution will not SOLVE your problem, the CONTINUED resolve to take steps towards keeping true to your goal WILL. Eventually, if you keep in stride with your small daily goals... you'll find that you HAVE made positive steps. So what if