October 28, 2019

Favorite Homeschool resources this year...

Well, this post will be a lighter subject!
I wanna connect with Moms & any avid reader today. You may be homeschooling or you may simply be looking for something good to read to your kids.
I like to occasionally share what I'm doing in our Home school setting.
Let's start with Read Alouds. One of my favorite books to read pretty much every year is "Trumpet of the Swan" by E.B.White. This book is just an easy read that is so easy to sit and listen to while doing something quiet like a handwriting page or two.
Other favorites this year are: God's Promise by Sally Michael. This book is a great family devotional to poke through each morning. We finished her Names of God last year, & it was well written and illustrated along with good activity suggestions.
We've got a strong lean in on our Bible readings this year. So we are currently practicing lots of verses for AWANA and doing our Bible Study on Moses together. This is taking most of our read aloud time each morning. I'm sure once we start to approach Christmas, we will step back from some of the books to do an Advent book.
This year, we are in our second year of using a Math Curriculum called "Teaching Textbooks." I am really liking it because I am not doing the checking!!!! This is working well for us since we have a several laptops and computers for the kids to access their lessons. The program teaches a lecture, and then has the student practice and review the concepts. I can even turn on hints and helps to keep them moving along. I like the quick links to show me what lesson is associated with each problem that they are working through. It's easy to navigate for sure. One of my favorite things is that this website offers a family year rate, so the price actually goes down as I have more students.
For Science, I'm going through a series of Usborne Science booklets. My kids can either independently read a section and journal what they are learning through writing and art or they can listen to me read it and then do journaling. It's a great way to do science when keeping it simple. We also supplement with COOP classes and hands on science box subscriptions like Spangler Science.
For Language, I've got many levels going at once since I'm homeschooling 5 students. For my grammar school kids, I like First Language Lessons, Including Audio cds. I like the quick simple lessons and then we are done! It's all scripted, so I don't have to think ahead before the lesson. Some of my kids are doing ABEKA workbooks. They are good to pace through and work through the nitty gritty of grammar. My youngest student isn't able to independently go through a workbook like that, so I like to default to Language Lessons.
So those are some of my favorite resources this year for school.
I have just finished a grief support class, and have benefited by that.
I also am reading a book called Miss the Carraige by Shannon Gallatin, & how the soul grows through loss A Grace Disguised by Jerry Sittser. (Thank you Debra!)
I don't know about you, but I have trouble getting too far into a book before getting side tracked by different needs of my family. I really enjoy podcasts. That will have to be for another post!
What are you reading? It doesn't have to be home school or kid related. Please do share!
Rachel

October 21, 2019

What has happened will not define me.

I heard someone say this week that "what has happened to us does not define us." This is really basic and obvious, but it is something that I find myself learning over & over again. Being married or single shouldn't be the main definition of my identity. Being a Mother shouldn't be the main identity of myself. My kids being "good" kids should not be wrapped up in my identity. I am not a sad story or broken mess because my husband died.
So who am I?
Right now I am asking myself this very thing, in certain social settings. Walking through a new and different season of life can be disorienting.
You might be thinking something like:
"How does she do it?"
"That's such a sad story!"
"I don't even know what I would do."
Well, here's the thing. When you have a personal relationship with God, HE is PEACE. (Isaiah 26:3) The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is THE COMFORTER. (Matthew 5:4)
Matthew 14 is one of my favorite passages to read when I think about Faith and Trust in our Lord. Peter steps out of the boat to walk toward Jesus on the water. At one point, he sees the wind and waves and becomes afraid taking his eyes off of Jesus. It is then that he starts to sink.
Aren't we all inclined to become afraid of the unknown and future? When we have that big question mark in life that we can't fix! It's easy to take our eyes off of the Lord and start to sink.
I know that as long as I keep my eyes fixed on Him, He will not only comfort me and bring peace, but He also promises much more than just peace and comfort. I can be secure because He provides, protects and guides me. My identity is in Christ.
So friend, I encourage you to keep your eyes on the Lord. Search for him. Read the Book of John & start talking to God if you don't know where to start. He will never leave or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) Put your trust in Him today!

October 14, 2019

The Before and After

Dear Bill,

Today I am missing you. I feel the longing to be in the "BEFORE" you were gone. The time we had together was so special. It was a time when life was growing, we were making traditions for our family. The kids were all small and cuddling all around us. It's a time that now stands still in my mind. Because you were with us. Oh, how I miss you. I remember your eagerness to pray for me when I would come to you because I needed to regroup. We were quite the team, weren't we?

So I'm sitting here in the AFTER. It's after you are gone. I know that one day I will see you again. The hard part is this in between. Finding the new normal. I mean normal wasn't going to be like my memories are of BEFORE. The kids are getting older. The season is changing with the kids. We had a couple of teenagers together. Now I have more than a couple. I have this weird tension of wanting the before, but being ok with learning to be in the after.
Grief...it's such a complicated emotional state.

So even though I miss you, I know it's going to be OK. The Lord is providing my every need. I sure need Him to walk me though this season!

In this AFTER, I miss you, and I thank you for the sweet memories I have of us.
Love,
Rachel

October 11, 2019

Unity of the Church

To my fellow followers of Jesus,

As you have already read in the scriptures: the Church is one, just as Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit are one. They ARE undivided. The Church is instructed by God to be united, to agree, to be of one mind, one Spirit, and to move in one accord.

To the simple childlike follower of Jesus, these instructions are not a matter of interpretation, but of obedience. Let's conform our lives to his teaching. Let us walk by faith and not by sight.

Although the Church may appear divided, it is not. There is only one true King and one true people. The same Spirit dwells in every true believer, and is always leading the children of God toward love and unity. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Remember that we have an enemy, and he seeks to divide. His ways are knowable, and rather predictable if we are wise and on guard. Our Lord warned us that false men would creep into the "church" and lead people astray, bringing them under bondage through preaching false gospels and teaching as doctrine the commandments of men. False teachers esteem knowledge and teaching, which puffs up brother against brother, rather than being led by the needs of others and love which unifies. It should not surprise us that in these last days the deception would be worse than in Jesus' day.

However, let us turn our attention away from these people and toward one another. My hope for the Church, and for my neighbors of the 19th Ward in particular, is that we would come to know one another apart from these divisions and begin to recognize the Church as Jesus sees it.

Let us love one another in the communities where we find ourselves.


October 7, 2019

Learning to Follow His lead

This year has been a challenging year to say the least. My family is learning to come together without our fearless leader, Daddy, and each find our place. It's been interesting to walk through grief as a Mom, while observing and supporting each of my kids as they are grieving too. I have had many situations come up where I just didn't know what I am to do. It could be practical things. It could be relational things. It could just be simple things like I lost something or I don't know where Bill kept that! So here's what I've been learning. The Bible tells us to "Pray without ceasing." When I was a kid, I thought, Well that's impossible! I can't pray all the time! I am doing other things too! Of course we aren't praying at every moment are we? I'm normally quick to pray in situations, but as a married woman, I was also quick to consult with my husband for his wisdom. That's totally normal! But now that he is in Heaven, I am realizing how often I would consult with him before praying. So the Lord has given me a gift lately. I am continuously praying as things come up. Is prayer a magical solution? It it the "Power of Prayer"? I would challenge that thought. I see no power in prayer. I see power coming from a real interactive relationship with God. His Holy Spirit speaks. He brings the answer to mind. He answers prayer. He gives wisdom when I need it. I can't handle all the wisdom at once. I don't need it all now.
As I find myself wondering what now? Or why? Or who gets the honor and praise for this? Its got to be our Lord. I NEED to turn to Him.
I can't even tell you all the stories of how He just keeps answering prayer. I'm telling you I would have a story for every single day. It's mind blowing how He is always with me. I tell you because He is always with you too. Call out to Him. He is right there. I'm not referring to just a rescuer. I'm saying a comforter. A PEACE that only He can give. The Bible also says that "He goes before me." When we face uncertainty, believe this truth! He goes before you. He is right there ready to walk it out with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. So friend, I encourage you to pray. To accept Him. To allow the Lord to guide your life. Ask Him to show up for you. He promises that He will.