SLICING POTATOES

All I did was slice open baked potatoes...

 

That's all I did.

But as soon as the steam swirled free, I breathed in damp black top, felt the sting of wondering who to sit with at lunch, tasted the chili and sour cream at the end of the cafeteria line. I remembered the lunch lady's fingers, gloved and singed with each piping russet. I remembered how I always felt bad for her. Thick and quick the memories rushed.

 

I went to public school from kindergarten through 12th grade. It wasn't all bad. Some of it was quite good. But, when I think back on those 13 years of my life, what I remember most are the relational things...both positive and negative. When I think through how my schooling experiences left marks on my life, I'm grateful for how the Lord has used them, but I'm also grateful for some of what my kids won't experience for having been homeschooled.

 

True, God uses struggles and growing experiences for our good and His glory.

 

He is faithful to do so.

 

And yet, what a blessing to bypass some of that which chips away at innocence. 

 

Deep thoughts linger today simply from slicing potatoes.

It seems God works through many means.

 

"I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil."

Romans 16:19


JESUS FILM SCHOOL

Some days we sit with paper and pencil.

Other days we experience learning through life.

Some days we study the tide pools in our textbook.

Other days we explore our local tide pools in swim suits.

Some days we read educational materials.

Other days we watch.

 

This is the variety that makes homeschooling so enjoyable.
Learning can be difficult at times, but I know I learn most when I enjoy the input,
so we do our best to also make learning enjoyable for our kids.

 

Today was a watching/reading day. We started with a history DVD as I had planned. As we discussed it's content we ended up on a rabbit trail which segued into the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This, in turn, led us to the JESUS film (which I had not planned), a blessed detour for our day indeed!

  

We popped some popcorn, added a few candy corns (since fall is in the air), and snuggled up to watch the most important story ever told. We were able to watch nearly the whole film together, though we chose to fast forward through some of the brutality when Jesus was mocked and flogged. I didn't want the kids to miss the depth of it all, so we did watch some of the hard-to-watch scenes, and it seemed to make an impact.

 

Though we're all familiar with the stories of Jesus' life, they never cease to stun us. Some of the kids were moved to tears and seeds were planted...again. As parents, we sow and sow and pray and pray. We expose and instruct and teach and train and we beg the Lord beckons their hearts to His.

 

Since watching the film, the kids are all dressed up as shepherds, wise (wo)men, Mary, and a donkey at the moment, playing out what they absorbed today. This is education. In fact, it's the MOST important education of all...the spiritual education of hearts, the tilling of eternal soil (not to mention teamwork and playwriting to boot!).

 

 

We're cultivating heart-soil over here today. Nothing matters more to me in my time spent educating my kids. It was a privilege to share the gospel with each one of them again today and I pray the Holy Spirit infuses their souls.

 

Feeling grateful for our JESUS film school.

 

 (Note: The version we watched of the JESUS film was a bit
shorter than this full length version and edited of some content.)

(This is the full length children's version of the JESUS film.)
 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, t
hat whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him."

John 3:16-17

ABEKA & BOB

When it comes to curriculum, I like simple. HUGE surprise, I know.
In a family as complicated as ours, simple reigns, and this applies to most things...including curriculum.

 

When it comes to curriculum, I also tend to like "tried and true". I know what I buy and that's what I buy. I know what we'll use and that's what we use. I know what works for us, so typically I don't do a ton of branching out with the basics.

 

We use A Beka for elementary school language arts. Though sometimes the worksheets can feel cumbersome, they definitely hit the basics using Scriptural references, colorful pages, and readers with a spiritual emphasis. We don't always do every single detail per page in the older grades because some of it is quite lengthy, but I do have a sense of thoroughness by the end of each year with A Beka. It's a yearly staple. 

 

 

I also love the good ol' Bob Books.

 

Though not quite as colorful as A Beka, my early readers always enjoy them. The stories are witty and {simple}...which carries weight around here as I've already pointed out.

Thus, the Bob Books are keepers.

 

 

Those are my two elementary age curriculum highlights for today.

I loved how little Nova was looking on as Olia worked through her lessons this afternoon.
It's amazing how much the younger ones absorb by simply being around...another homeschooling perk!

 

Less is more for us when it comes to core curriculum, so I like to make the most of our purchases and how we spend our time in the books. I definitely don't want to dabble around too much or waste resources and efforts. With each school year that passes, I realize more concretely what works best for us with longevity and I'm thankful for some of our staples...including A Beka and Bob.

 

In other news...FALL is finally here!

 We were pretty excited today to buy PUMPKINS!!

 

 

HELLO FALL!!

 

"He changes times and seasons."

Daniel 2:21