Take the Pill

My adult daughter Sally is extremely bright and full of life, but she is dying.  She received a bad report in the mail that the doctor found something wrong in her last routine visit and wishes to see her right away.  Nervously, we go to the our family's physician, the same who has seen her since birth,  who prescribes a drug that will fully cure her.  He is so concerned that he immediately phones in the prescription to the pharmacy and even offers to pay it for her because it's extremely expensive and honestly, there is no way either of us could afford it.  Returning from the pharmacy for her, I rush into her home and give her the prescription.  She informs me that she isn't interested in taking it right now.  She states that for one she feels great, and secondly she read online that she can just take another pill that is cheaper and just as effective.  Heartbroken, I try my best to persuade her that this is only way she will live.  She refuses.  I call the physician and I ask him is there any legal way that I can make her take this prescription since we know this is the only way she will live.  He informs me that legally you can never make a patient take medicine.  They must choose to receive it on their own.  Over time, I watch Sally's life deteriorate.  She keep's turning to cheap alternatives to the one drug that would save her because she believes they are cheaper, more natural, and definitely a more hip alternative.  As heartbroken as I am as her mother, I'm surprised how hard her physician takes the news.

In reality, we are all dying.  Our bad report that is sent to us is that we are great sinners and all sinners, great and small, deserve death and hell.  The good news for us is the Great Physician has paid for our prescription in the form of His Son Jesus who became the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Any alternative to Jesus is a cheapened alternative that will lead you to death and destruction even if only in the end.  Like the doctor in the story, God will never force you to accept Him.  You must come to Him by your own choice when He calls.  If God is calling you to offer you eternal life, won't you take that call and receive the prescription found in Jesus which is more than a ticket to heaven when you die but an opportunity to live a fulfilled life with Him now?

{Small disclaimer:  Since I'm already getting e-mails thinking this is really one of my children, it's not.  Just a story I woke up to this morning and decided to write.  It's an analogy of the true Gospel of God's overwhelming, redeeming love!!}

Curriculum Choices

I began homeschooling 20+ years ago with 100 Easy Lessons and Learning at Home by Ann Ward.  I did that for two years.  I loved it.  At a seminar I was introduced to KONOS and had a great couple of years with friends using KONOS.  Since then, it seems I have tried or checked out just about everything!  The only thing that didn't work for me is a "packaged curriculum".  I always liked the classical approach to homeschooling the best.  Using lots of real books and life to learn from.  My goal with my kiddos in homeschooling is to raise them to love Jesus foremost and to have a love of learning.  If you love to learn and have the "tools" to know how, you are prepared for whatever life may through your way.  Honestly, I still try to do too much wanting to cover everything before they leave home and have to stand back sometimes to regroup.   If I'm not careful, we're schooling from sun up to sun down.  Of course, that includes throwing in a few chores, cooking with me, etc. but still it's easy for me to get into the "I've got to cover everything" rut and forget that I'm training them to learn.  They will have the tools to learn whatever I or they miss.  Phew, that's a load off of my mind.  Most of our home school years has been with Ambleside Online, Apologia Science and Saxon Math.  However, I discovered Classical Conversations a few years ago and have loved it.  Saxon Math and Apologia are still a part of our school.  We also read a lot of books.  I have an adult daughter in college going into nursing.  My second child graduates this year and plans to begin college in the fall.  It goes way too fast.  Young mama, I know you hear that all the time, but let me tell you it's so true.  They grow up way too fast.  Even through the hard days of trying to home school while hugging a potty (pregnant), changing 100 diapers when soo many were little at once, catching up on laundry mountain and so many other chores, trying to survive on one full-time income, I thank the Lord so much that He led me to be with my precious children.   Because for all those hard days, there were so many more good days filled with laughter, singing, games, and togetherness.  Most importantly, it's worth it all if the Lord would find it to His great pleasure to use my small efforts to call my children, that He so graciously blessed us with, to Himself.    To Him be all the honor and glory forever!! 

20 Years of Homeschooling!

Wow!  When I filled out paperwork to be a director in Classical Conversations I realized I've been homeschooling for over 20 years!  My eldest daughter is going to be 25 and she began reading at age 4.  She was and is still an avid learner.  I decided my next few posts should be on some things I have learned as a mom while homeschooling. I'll put some of our favorite books, our adventures in schooling, and how I still do it after so long and enjoy it. 

Why I love to home educate my children?  First and foremost, I really love being with my children.  My eldest had to be in daycare off and on during her first 5 years of life and I hated it.  Don't get me wrong, I loved work.  I loved my job (Science Applications International Corporation) and I loved the people I worked with but I really missed being at home with my daughter and being a full-time mom.   If there is a calling for motherhood and homeschooling that makes you miserable doing anything else, I had it.   And I was surprised.   I had plans of a big career until I held that precious cargo.  All those future goals went by the wayside and my thoughts began drifting towards home.

I also was intrigued with the idea of homeschooling.   There was so little on the subject at the time therefore I joined a local home school co-op when my daughter was only two so I could do my homework.   Meanwhile, my husband began a partnership in a plumbing business that was doing well.  We decided to take the plunge and give up my benefits and pay to come home right before her kindergarten year. 

Our families thought we were nuts and had probably joined a cult.  It didn't help that I did begin getting very involved in a Spirit-filled church when she was 2.  Being so hungry for Truth and especially spiritual truth, I devoured the Word.  I was involved in Bible Studies and in learning how to be a good mom, wife, and future home school mom.  It pretty much consumed those first years of her life.  Compared to the old me, I am absolutely sure it did appear that I had to have joined a cult to have changed so drastically.  I know when they found out I wanted more than two children it made no sense at all to them. When I breastfed, my feminist mentors in life where appalled (especially when I did it for two years).  When I wanted natural child birth, cloth diapers to save money, dress simply, give up career ambitions and more, they pretty much just shook their heads.  But after 6 children they gave up on me and now are some of my biggest cheerleaders in life. Maybe by the time I had #8 they were just numb :D. 

Before we were married, we had "the plan".  We will have 3 children 3 years apart.  I will finish my college education and we will move by a beach and we will live happily ever after.  Well, God had other plans.  We definitely didn't plan on homeschooling.  We didn't have to throw away our dreams to follow God's plan for us but He has definitely changed our dreams.  It has been a great adventure and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  My next post will discuss what curriculum we began with and how we got where we are now. 

Nerf Guns Everywhere and New Year's Resolutions

I'm writing this amidst rapid Nerf gun fire, and believe it or not, it's so normal my thoughts aren't even scattered!   I didn't make my normal goals this year.  I try to begin a lot of great things at once and do well for a while and then one week of sick kiddos and it's all over.  This year I'm making one health/physical, one spiritual, one mental and one family goal before I do anything else.  My first health/physical goal was to give up diet cokes!  It is my one true vice.  There weren't even withdrawals or headaches when I quit this year because I already quit buying them at home a long time ago.  I saved them for when I was out during happy hour at Sonic.  A tall, bubbly, itty bitty ice of carbonation for a BUCK!!!   YESSSS, it was good while it lasted.  Next week will be about 2 weeks so I'll start my new health/physical goal then...at least 30 minutes of purposeful exercise a day.  Don't get me wrong.  A household this big, I never quit moving. But, I need to get more disciplined in this area again so that's next.

My first spiritual goal is to daily read the Word alone and with the family.  I've done at least one or the other since the first but not consistent with both yet.  Once, I conquer that one I actually do have a yearly plan of studies this year.

My first mental goal is to learn more Latin before I need to teach it in Challenge next year.   Therefore, I'm beginning to do the books with the children that they are doing and then I will begin Rosetta Stone.  I usually just follow along with the teacher book and don't make myself think things as through as I need to do. 

Lastly, my family goal is to get out of holiday - run- run - rush -rush mode and back into settled life.  Meals back at the table together.  Prayers more consistent.  Bedtimes back on track.  Limited television, video games, etc. during the week so we can focus more on school and home life.

Well, time to get the "shooters" to put their weapons away for the night.  It's "jammy" time.  Half of them are already behind on that bedtime deal :D.  Good night blogging world.

Rosetta Stone Give Away

Now is the perfect time to give your child the gift of possibilities for the holidays with Rosetta Stone Homeschool — and you can WIN a Level 1 Homeschool program, language of your choice (valued at $249)!
Right now Rosetta Stone is having a special Holiday promotion on our Homeschool Edition program and we’d like you to help spread the word! Everyone can save up to $150 on Rosetta Stone Homeschool by visiting our website at http://www.RosettaStone.com/hsw1110.
By helping us spread the word you can win a Rosetta Stone Homeschool Edition Level 1 program, language of your choice, valued at $249.
This is a computer based curriculum and Rosetta Stone will also include a headset with microphone, and a supplementary “Audio Companion” CD so you can practice lessons in the car, on the go, or where-ever!
Students participate in life-like conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program. Rosetta Stone incorporates listening, reading, grammar, vocabulary and writing along with speaking and pronunciation lessons. For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program to allow parents to easily enroll up to ten students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, grade completed work (the program grades the work automatically as the students progress), and you can view and print reports for transcripts. Homeschooling a lot of kids at your house? This program is designed to enroll and track up to ten students (five users on two computers) and will work for nearly all ages — from beginning readers up to college students.
To win this program, copy these paragraphs and post them in (or as) your next blog post, and/OR post about this contest on your facebook page. Then go to the original page at http://www.triviumpursuit.com/blog/2010/12/28/rosetta-stone-giveaway/
and leave a comment saying that you’ve posted about, or have linked to, the contest. Please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post, and good luck!
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Wherever You Are, Be All There. ~Jim Elliot

I saw this quote today and it really spoke to my heart.  Again, it reminded me I should have named this blog "Attempting to Live a Life of No Regrets."  Although, it's still my lofty goal, it's definitely only attainable to attempt it.  This quote spoke to me because I desire to make a difference for the Lord in the lives that He puts into mine.  I cannot make a difference in the lives of even my own family if my mind is consistently elsewhere.  We need to stay focused on the family the Lord blessed us with and the guests the Lord may bring to our door.  He may even have opportunities for us at the grocery store, the gas station, the drive thru window, where ever we may be IF we are available to Him to "be all there, wherever we are". 

We've all done it.  Whether it's a conversation with a child, on the phone, or whomever when you have to ask the other person to repeat what they are trying to tell you because your mind is totally preoccupied with other matters.  Don't get me wrong; there is a time to take care of matters uninterrupted but other times we need to give attention to those around us. I'm so thankful we serve a God who is always there for us.  May we strive to be there for those He places in our lives and most importantly when we are spending time with Him.  May we be purposeful to focus on Him when we read His word.  May we focus our attention to Him when we pray (and not what is next on the to do list),  Lord help us to be all there, wherever we are!