Parents Always Homeschooled; Now It's Official

Look at this guy! We have a few white squirrels who live in our yard. I take the time to notice them lest they become "ordinary." They're not quite common in our area, but not entirely unusual. 

Jesus said, "Do not worry about your life...look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?...But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things." (Matthew 6:25-26, 33-34).

I loved seeing him leaping this morning. He had no idea I was watching. He was going about his business, doing what God has put in him to do, under the watchful eye of the Almighty.

Parents have always been "home-schoolers," as it's always been the job of a parent to train up children. You are doing this all the time: in teaching habits (or not), in modeling behavior (whether good or bad), in how you respond to situations, and in daily life (how you manage your home, or not). All parents have abruptly been put into the role of what our culture calls "homeschoolers," or people who teach their children "academics" at home. Please quote me on this: Homeschooling is not super-human; it's supernatural. That's right; apart from God's help, you can't do it. I've been doing this seven years, and this is how I answer anyone over the years who has told me, "Well, I could never do that," as if I have some magic powers.

To this I say, "You're right! You can't do it. God can, and if you ask Him, He shows you the way." Frankly, it's ridiculous and insulting for anyone to insinuate that homeschoolers have been sprinkled with some special dust that enables us to do this thing that God actually commands all of us to do: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." One thing that makes me cringe is hearing parents act like they can't stand being around their kids. A gentle reminder: God gave you specifically those specific kids. He didn't haphazardly throw you together. There's a reason you're you, and that you ended up with those particular little humans. You took care of them in-utero, brought them home from the hospital, kept them alive through the helpless baby years, potty trained and clothed them. You made it through all those long nights of crying, feeding, and the like.

Our culture does parents and children no favors encouraging this mentality that I observe daily, the one of "my children are driving me crazy, and I can't stand being around them." Don't fall into the temptation to go there. You, an adult by age, already went through adolescence, so attitudes like this need to be killed. I'm speaking in firm gentleness and love: if your children drive you crazy, examine why that is. You are the parent. And right now, you have them at home. Let me encourage you that (again, with God's help), you can homeschool them...and love it.

First, what new "homeschoolers" will have to do is allow their minds to be transformed as to what "school" looks like. This forced time at home should do away with the notion that learning must take place in a classroom with desks, in which sit thirty people of the same age for seven hours a day. This occurs nowhere else except in our idea of a "school" setting. It's kind of like when we started going to a church that met in the auditorium of an elementary school. An older person, set in her ways, told me "That's just not church." Frankly, I don't recall reading anywhere in the book of Acts that a church has to be a brick building with pews and a liturgy...but I digress. You get the point.

Next, throw out the idea that "learning" requires textbooks and testing. I understand...it was hard for me, too. The more I've freed myself from all of this, the more freedom there's been. From the methods of Charlotte Mason, I've come to grasp that being educated is about how much one cares. Anybody can memorize facts for a test, pass and seem brilliant, and have no idea what the information means. Let's stop this nonsense.

Did you know that you have everything required for homeschooling? You don't need to rush out and buy expensive curriculum, or worry that your child left his books at school. Here are some simple ideas for your encouragement:

1. Remember our white squirrel? Your own yard is full of the wonders of God's creation. Go outside and observe one or two a week, drawing them in a nature notebook. Surely you have an old spiral notebook lying around, or at least some paper you can staple together. Make notes about the nature you find: rocks, leaves, flowers, grass, birds, animals, trees. If you don't know what they're called, use Google! Type in, "small white flower with pink center," or whatever. For an added bonus, look up the scientific (Latin) name, and make a note of it as well. When this crisis is over, keep up the nature notebook! This isn't a project for the school year; it's meant to last a lifetime.

2. Have a look at those books you own, but are normally too busy to read together. Dust them off, and have some read-aloud time! After a paragraph (or page, or chapter), have your child(ren) narrate what they can remember. Ask them to tell in their own words. Don't interrupt them; let them talk! If they give erroneous information, correct facts after they've finished. I bet you have hundreds of books that you could use. Everyone has at least one book about the United States, or flowers, or the human body. Everyone has a copy of at least one living book: Little Women, Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson. If you have one of your old textbooks from school, maybe you'd have fun using that!

3. Employ the above method, but challenge kids to write instead of telling aloud.  These narrations on paper will be shorter and more difficult to produce than the oral ones, but even if it's a little, be glad for the effort, and build.

4. I'm guessing you have at least one poetry book at home. If not, you have the Internet, so no excuses! Now, don't cringe when you hear "poetry." Remember, we're not under the bondage that our teachers created for us by making us rip it apart and explicate it to shreds. You have permission to just read it. Yes, you heard correctly. READ IT!!! Don't ask what the poet is trying to say, don't make your child write a poem...just read a poem a day, for the sheer enjoyment of it. If you want to get really crazy, pick one poet, and study his or her work every day for a month. I recommend Frost, Longfellow, and Wordsworth.

5. Find a famous artist to study. You may have a book at home, but remember, you also have the Internet! As with poetry, just enjoy the art. Have the kids observe one painting, and narrate it, as with your reading. Tell them to look at it carefully, for details. After a few minutes, hide the painting from view, and have them recount what they remember. You'll be amazed.

6. What about math?! For Pete's sake, here you should feel especially confident about finding a few random problems a day for them to do, just to keep the concepts flowing. No need to do ten pages of fifty problems each. 

7. Pick a composer (Bach, Haydn, Beethoven, Handel, Schubert, etc) and listen to the same piece by him every day for two weeks. Life need not stop as you do this; put the music on from YouTube as you do other things around the house. Soon you will all recognize the works of famous composers! It's fun later to have the kids tell which ones are their favorites.

8. Delve into those "classics" that fill you with dread because they weren't made fun for you. You'll see them in a whole new light. Don't be afraid of Shakespeare, or Plutarch, or even Homer. No one is expected to swallow these works in one big gulp. Digest them slowly, over the long haul, which I anticipate this will be.

9. Copy poetry, lines from prose, quotes, Bible verses, or anything at all. This will help with handwriting, grammar, and spelling. 

I hope these suggestions help. Remember that you are a facilitator, while the kids are in charge of learning. Your job is to surround them with ideas, and let them formulate opinions. I believe you will enjoy employing these methods, as they've brought great joy to us.  First thing's first: Don't do anything without praying!! 

Lord, You know all about this situation and these friends of mine who are now all homeschoolers. Give them lots of grace, and show them the way. Let them proceed in freedom, not fear. Let them see the individual parts of their children that make them special, how you created them. Remind these parents that you love them and their kids, and that You are the ultimate Teacher. Thank you that we have freedom through the shed blood of Christ. Amen.

Go teach with confidence! 

Shame & Vulnerability

Aren't they serene? I have wished often for quietness of mind, and there's much behind this that I've discovered over the past few years. Currently, I'm wrestling through Curt Thompson's The Soul of Shame. This book is for everyone, since we are all sinners who deal daily with the effects of shame. Most people have no idea of the role that shame has played in our personal disintegration. 

As the Lord uproots this painful shame, I'm drawn to the call to be vulnerable with others and with Christ, rather than allowing certain situations to cause mental paralysis, or "stasis," as Thompson calls it. I've felt this often, the state of almost complete mental breakdown or fog when I feel shame. Just today an incident occurred that required my vulnerability with God, and I feel that it can be further brought into the light by sharing it with you.

One thing to note: It's true that "shameful" incidents aren't necessarily what the world would see as a big deal, or something that seems overly traumatic. The enemy is crafty in setting up years and decades of subtle shaming tactics. 

Because our move put us farther from our beloved Missio Dei Church, our family decided to start the process of finding a church closer to where we now live. As community is vital to vulnerability, we long to be close to our church, able to attend regular functions. We've been attending a church that we really like, and were there today. At the end of the service, my family exited ahead of me. I knew we needed to get home to have lunch and change before an outing the kids were taking, but stayed behind chatting with some kind ladies who had introduced themselves.

When I eventually turned to leave, I noticed that the line out the door was long; the pastor sits at the doorway and shakes everyone's hand as they exit. I realized it would take a while to reach the door if I stood at the end of the line, so I went to the side, bypassing the line. I saw a side door and considered going out of it, but being new, I feared ending up somewhere I didn't want to be, since we still don't know our way around the building. I decided the easiest move was to slip behind the pastor at the door, but this required me to also go past everyone in the line. 

When I reached the doorway I saw a dear acquaintance there with her kids, to whom I said a few words, and I also excused myself for going through the people. For a split second, I turned and faced the people in line, many of whom seemed to be looking at me. I caught a glimpse of Mrs. C--'s sweet, kind face. Suddenly, I had a horrible feeling: I looked like I was breaking in line to see the pastor, rather than simply slipping past the people and out the door to find my family! And just when I attempted to tiptoe behind him, he turned directly to me, and addressed me by name! I wanted to pass out from the shame of seemingly cutting in front of that whole line. Just when I thought I'd squeeze past everyone, Pastor M. looked me squarely in the face!

All I could think was, We're new, and those people will now recognize me as the Lady Who Cuts in Line! I felt sick, wondering why I hadn't gone through that blasted side door. I worried all the way home, feeling the crippling shame described by Dr. Thompson in his book. I knew God was inviting me to walk into this feeling with Him, to have a discussion about what's really happening in my heart. 

This seems to be how healing happens. When I recognize this feeling of shame, I must walk into it with Christ and others rather than suffocating in it alone. I sat by the archway in my new back yard in the sun, looking at the blue sky, green grass, and colorful flowers, and had a transparent talk with Jesus. I told him I worry about being like others who I've seen push their way to the front. I felt like I did twenty years ago when I did just that, and a lady called me on it. I felt like the whole church would now see me as the Lady Who Cuts In and is Inconsiderate (picture that in neon lights). I kept seeing Mrs. C--'s kind face, and Pastor M's, full of grace and understanding, entirely void of condemnation. 

I moved to the bench on my front porch and dared to ask God again to erase the incident (which I describe in detail in another post, God Erases), which led to more discussion. Do I hesitate to believe and receive this because it seems unbelievable? Aren't God's ways indeed infinitely past understanding? Do I feel like asking Him to (again) "erase" it is one time too many, and a copout to boot? If I know that He delights to give me bread and not a serpent, and that He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that I think or ask, why do I hesitate to believe He'll "erase" again and again? Christ talked to His disciples about believing they'd receive, about not having because they didn't ask, and about how it delights the Father to give good gifts to His children.

What I'm writing in this blog is a transcript of a lot that I wrote in my journal. In the journaling part of this process, I was reminded about my friend Pastor Jim's comment to me a while back, that I was "overthinking" another certain situation. Perhaps that's the case here, too; maybe none of those people thought a thing of it. I probably wouldn't have, and if someone else told me this, I may even think it was funny, like something that would happen to Ben Stiller. But to me, who I believe I am is very real. When something bumps up against a shameful spot in my heart, I now want to get to the bottom of it, and stop being in bondage. 

I believe the devil has worked hard to convince me that I have no sense, no social skills, that I'm uncouth and uncultivated. The Lord whispers to me that my deep concern shows the opposite. He and I continued this discussion over ninety minutes. He's teaching me many things, leading me into freedom. I feel like I have to be put in certain situations in order to face my shame and move toward healing it. The very thing I don't want to feel is precisely what I have to face with vulnerability. And by the way...this goes for all of us.

From the mouth of My Savior:

"Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:24

"If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." John 14:14

"...whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11:24

My soul is panting for Him, as the deer pants for water. May it always be so! 

Until next time...

God Erases

It seems that God's lessons to me are one spilling into the next, with some overlapping. It's astounding what He's showing me: that He erases circumstances and situations that I have wished I could change. He literally makes it as if these things hadn't occurred! I feel helpless to put this idea to words.

"I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins." Isaiah 43:25 (my added emphasis).

There have been several specific situations where the Lord nudges me about this, and for me to ask, trust, and believe. I confess that it can seem "too" wonderful, that my mind can't grasp it. Isn't that what makes God who He is? Isn't this why He sent His Son to die? I feel the miracle of what He's doing, what only He has power to do.

The Lord and I will work on one thing, then another seems to pop up. What condemnation I've felt in my life! What mistakes I've made...so many! Yet He seems to be taking each one and saying that yes, He will erase that one, too. 

My humanity responds in three ways:
1. I think, Can I ask the Lord to erase yet another thing?
2. I wonder, Is He willing to erase yet another thing?
3. I ask, Does he really, truly, erase certain circumstances...as in, honest-to-goodness...gone?? 

The Lord keeps bringing me back to Luke 11:9-13. I read and reread this passage: "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Now, get this: "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

How much more, indeed! Our pastor encourages us to pray crazy, radical prayers, asking for things that to us seem impossible. In this passage, Jesus doesn't say that this asking, seeking, and knocking is a one-time deal, so we'd better proceed with caution and not use up our one "wish". I keep thinking about how parents want to give good gifts to their children. How much more does the Lord see my heart, and want to give me good things for His glory?

This view from my husband's office window is a breathtaking reminder of God's love and redemption, and that His promises are true.

The Lord has tied into this a struggle I have, that I seem to "freeze" in certain situations, seemingly not knowing how to respond. As a result, I end up tremendously regretting ways I've handled certain things. I end up feeling stupid, inadequate, and lacking sense. The Lord keeps reminding me that the Holy Spirit is there to help, all the time. Time and again, I rely on my own devices; I don't feel I have the wherewithal to even remember to call on Him. This is what leads to situations that cause regret.

God is now unpacking and unfolding all of this before me. I have trouble receiving His rescuing and love, because I feel like I should've known better, and don't deserve it. That's the whole point: I don't know better, which is why I need Christ! I can't rescue myself or others; my own devices leave me in the regret of my inadequacy. He is teaching me to call on the Holy Spirit, and to learn to trust in His forgiveness that removes (erases) all our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). "As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him" (Ps. 103:13).

Another addition to all of this is that the Lord has been addressing almost daily something that has weighed greatly on me for years: the effects that my inadequacy will have on my children. I have been nudged that these lessons are for me, and that my kids will benefit from that, rather than being harmed by it. What good news! 

I confess that all of this is hard for me to digest. It's hard to learn to trust God. However, He is teaching me to take Him at His word, as "impossible" as it seems to my human mind. Shouldn't God's ways be higher than mine? I'm learning to stop putting Him into my understanding, which actually isn't "understanding" at all. He truly renews the mind in ways I never imagined. 

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" Romans 11:33

A Book Note...

Here is a book worth reading: Rosemary, The Hidden Kennedy Sister by Kate Clifford Larson (2015). Regardless of your position on the Kennedy family, you will be up late into the night getting to know Rosemary and her tragic story. Clifford does an outstanding job of giving this obscure figure the dignity she always deserved. Many biographies can contain dry, cumbersome details, but not this book. Every word contributes to the whole of Rosemary's fascinating story. This may be the most compelling biography I've ever read, no exaggeration.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Spring!

The yard is suddenly in bloom, and as a result, so is the pollen! The colorful rewards are worth the scratchy throat and itchy eyes. 

Phlox and other happy plants in front yard

Dogwood in front side yard

Rhododendron under front window

Azaleas that burst forth suddenly, and are gone just as fast

The beginning of blueberries

First rose blossom

Mossy patches in woods behind our house

Babies stopped to rest on the moss!

Dianthus, or "pinks," that come back fuller each year

Clematis growing on the side of the house is a welcome sight.

We are close to completing Fabre's Storybook of Science, which we've read twice a week all school year. I loved this passage: 

I can't add one more thing on that subject!

Speaking of school... 

We have a few more weeks to go. When I realized we had eight weeks left of Ambleside, I decided to condense those into four! This required doubling up on some chapters, and omitting others, but it works. We finished Stevenson's unabridged Kidnapped, a big accomplishment, and made it through our first year of Latin. It may have "killed the Romans," to quote my dad, but we'll pick it back up next year!

We examined these works of Winslow Homer over a term, and enjoyed learning about his life. He loved to paint outside, regardless of weather, set up inside a makeshift fort, capturing his subjects in their natural settings: 

My favorite is "Snap the Whip," the second in the second row. I can hear those boys' laughter, and imagine their panting and yelling as they gleefully play in the schoolyard.

As I was reading about the end of the Revolutionary War from Foster's George Washington's World, one daughter sketched this priceless cartoon of King George's astonishment, as Ben Franklin happily looks on: 

As for math, we continue to love Horizons, with its wide variety of practical exercises. I like the freedom of circling specific problems for the girls to do, while being able to skip over areas they've mastered. It allows us to progress at the right pace and focus on what needs practice, making the most of our time. One day, I had to do a drawing to distinguish among angles. It took me back to the days of Sister Fintan's math class at St. Paul's School, and I tried to replicate her examples and pristine cursive: 

Those were happy times in Catholic school...I learned well and enjoy applying some of it to my own teaching! 

Finally, it's way overdue, but I couldn't resist posting the Easter cake the girls made. It was a perfect ushering-in of new life, with a light, fabulous almond taste! 

Thank You, Lord, for new creations! Let us live in the freedom for which You died to set us free.

Why I Don't Need to "Forgive Myself"

Do you find yourself doing as a friend once put it, "Taking old skeletons out of the closet and dancing with them," even after you've asked for forgiveness over and over? I sure do. Why are we in this rut of hanging onto sin and regret, even once we've taken it to God, and even repented? Why can't we let it go?

I've meditated, studied, and talked to God for a long time about this topic. "Lord," I say, help me to believe Psalm 103 with my heart, not just my head. Take the piece of my heart that still has trouble really believing that I'm forgiven." When I take the same sins over and over to the Lord, I know He doesn't remember them. The question is, Why do I harp over them so much?

Tim Keller has a sermon from 1991 in which he addresses this topic, quoting R.C. Sproul, who says that if we suffer from it, it's because "....you're going about your salvation the Smith Barney way; you want to earn it." My biggest issue here, Sproul says, is my pride. He states that it's like saying, "I've got this myself, and I don't need Christ's bleeding charity." Major ouch.

So, now add pride to the list, on top of the heart problem of not being able to "forgive myself." And that's where John Piper comes in. He has much to say on this subject, especially in his short discussion, "Should We Learn to Forgive Ourselves?"  The real issue is, I don't need to learn to "forgive myself" at all, but to receive Christ's redemption on the cross.

A big struggle for me is, ok, I've gotten "forgiveness," but what about the possible ramifications of certain mistakes I've made? The Lord is working on me big-time to see that He handles all of this too. In fact, I had a nudge just today that I can be free to not remember these things at all, because they're not there...the same way that God sees (or, actually, doesn't see!) them now! If I'm going to quote 1 John 1:9 to my children, I'd better ask the Lord to let me believe it deep down myself: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And while I'm at it, what about the aforementioned Psalm 103? "Who forgives us from all our iniquities...As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (verses 3 and 12, my emphasis).

But back to Piper...Here is the gist of his talk:

"Forgiveness is a wronged person forgiving a wronging person, not a wronging person forgiving a wronging person."

"If Jack insults me, and I forgive Jack, why would Jack forgive Jack, when he didn't insult Jack?"

"The Corinthians felt a godly grief (remorse, sorrow); they wronged, and asked forgiveness."

"When people speak of the need to 'forgive themselves,' they mean the need to move through worldly grief over sin to godly grief over sin, and beyond, into life-giving freedom. The difference is moving out of death-giving condemnation to life-giving acceptance of God's no-condemnation."

"The Biblical way out of this self-condemnation is to humble ourselves and admit that we have no right to take the role of judge and pronounce the death sentence on ourselves. That's pride, to think that we can hear God's verdict of 'not guilty,' or our friend's verdict, 'I forgive you,' and we refuse it and set ourselves up as the new judge, and pronounce a death sentence over ourselves. The Biblical problem with that is...an arrogant failure to trust in the free verdict of God: 'No condemnation!'"

"Let's humble ourselves and step down off the judge's seat, and let God be God in His pronouncement of 'No condemnation.'"

This morning I was praying about this very thing as I found myself falling into the trap of feeling like I had to do penance for stuff that Christ's blood has forgiven....and on Good Friday, of all days! I imagined a young me, crouched at His grimy, bloody feet, and I told Him I wanted to feel His rough feet, and even the hard nail driven through them. 

I was really struggling, when the Holy Spirit provided me a simple illustration, one that took me by surprise. Meet my high school principal, Mr. Clarke, "honcho" of the whole place...ahem...twenty-something years ago: 

Suppose, as a high-schooler,  I approach Mr. Clarke with a request: something I desperately want, yet don't deserve (let's say, being excused from class). The principal has the authority to make the call--I don't--and he actually says yes! However, I continue to convince myself that his "okay" isn't good enough. I feel the need to "really earn" his approval, and do something to work toward the "yes," even though he's already given it. Mr. Clarke made the decision as the one who has the authority, and he won't hold over my head that he has given me the okay without my earning it. In fact, it's actually his pleasure to grant my request, and it's my job to receive it freely as a gift, with no guilt. (Note: I cannot compare God to anyone or anything, and I'm not daring to say that my principal or any human is equal to Him. This is simply an illustration I feel was provided to help me see more clearly). 

Back to the present, I feel like my "badness" prevents forgiveness, as if it depended on my actions...in other words, my "performance." As someone I look up to says, if certain things I've done can't be redeemed, God "doesn't get to be God." It's not up to me to be in charge of my own forgiveness! "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, again my emphasis). Christ has the authority to forgive and redeem me and my situations. As with the Mr. Clarke illustration, it's not my call to make. The authority rests on the One and only Savior who calls all the shots. I go to Him in humble submission, trusting Him to be God, because I don't hold that title.

On Good Friday, I choose to remember Him on the tree, bruised, rejected, spit on, mocked, humiliated, because He had the authority to lay down His life. He did it for me and all my junk, so I can be free to stop dancing with those skeletons. Amen!

Thanks to Abby at Little Birdie Blessings for this beautiful graphic!

Inside-Out

I had a discussion recently with someone about "inside-out" change. When we want to change a behavior, we tend to attempt "outside-in" fixes, which end up being band-aids that don't address the root of things. Years and years pass, and all we have to show for our best "outside-in" efforts is wasted time, frustration, exhaustion, and wounds that are still gaping. 

This "inside-out" change has been the topic of many more discussions since the first. The Lord gave me a clear word three years ago: "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind" (Ephesians 4:23). This "renewal," I've learned, has to be "inside-out," because no "outside-in" solutions work. It's what only the Holy Spirit can do, without my continued interference. I've also learned that this requires me to confess my tendency to "perform," rather than to be still and obey.

We live in a shallow culture, and in many ways, the American church culture looks no different than the world. I'm convinced that "inside-out" transformation is difficult because of our desire for quick fixes, as well as our inability to be vulnerable with others. Part of "inside-out" change requires discovering who we really are, which means taking off well-built masks we wear to cover up the "real us" from the world. God always knows the real identity behind those masks, and they're worth getting to know because they're who He created us to be. The process is an arduous one. 

Even with a week of stress from several directions, I have been mindful of this "good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). John Piper says, "Make war!" Nehemiah says, "Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes" (4:14). As I felt the fog and fuzzy focus of stress, I recalled Psalm 18:29 and 34: "By my God I can leap over a wall...He teaches my hands to make war."  

A member of my own "Cloud of Witnesses," Barbara Johnson, loved celebrating the first of every month. She would put clean sheets on the beds, or buy a nice bunch of fresh asparagus to cook. I'm remembering her today as I take time this afternoon to do things I enjoy: catching up on this blog, sitting with hot coffee, and reading as the rain falls outside and my girls play within. Here is some wisdom from Barbara: 

(From Mama, Get the Hammer...There's a Fly on Papa's Head!)

Eugene Peterson has a description for Barbara's "no microwave maturity;" he calls it "a long obedience in the same direction." May we never give up fighting in God's strength, for His glory. 

Odds & Ends...

Sweet Eliza presented me with a book that she found at an antique store, that she said was "me." What a joy to know what's really "me," and to have others know it, too. 

This well-loved volume is a collection of sweet illustrations with Bible verses.

 This little fella reminds me of my husband as a boy!

I like the verse that goes with him, too.

This is a list of ladies who presented the book to "Sandra," its original owner. Look at those names! Clara, Thelma, Ione, Bernice, Velma...even Edelweiss!

I love this vintage drawing of different children making a joyful noise!

Speaking of books (one of my favorite topics)... 

Remember Journey Cake Ho!? As most of the "old" books have been chucked from the library and replaced by twaddle, I was surprised to find it there. I have wonderful memories of this being at my elementary school library, and the cover was the same, but green. I read it to my kids one evening and didn't find the story as compelling as the charming illustrations (done by the beloved Robert McCloskey). However, we were tickled by the "journey" cake's "singing;" this, added to the well-remembered images of the cake bouncing downhill, endeared me anew to this book. 

And speaking of cakes...the girls made and decorated these all by themselves: 

They enjoy taking holiday treats to tennis clinics; the kids and coaches enjoy a reward after hard practice!

Something else my girls made: 

We have many more "handicraft" opportunities today than in Charlotte Mason's day! Not only do they spend time and imagination on Legos, there's also slime-making, wooden peg people to paint, and cereal boxes they turn into other crafts!

One more thing, something funny from school this morning: I spotted this drawing of two funny characters in Holling's Minn of the Mississippi... 

...and instantly recalled a photo of two other funny characters, my 3rd great-grandparents, Major Sebastian Wygal, and Rachel Hoge Wilson Wygal: 

The resemblance between them and Holling's drawing is uncanny, although I can't prove that he used these two as models! What do you think? 

Until next time!

Picture Book Ministry

When I was eaten up with regret yesterday morning remembering an ungodly way in which I had behaved, I was surprised to have a familiar verse brought to mind: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9). A new thing to consider is that even in past mistakes, things we want to change but can't, Christ indeed can bring redemption. His grace and strength are the answer in our issues, present, future, as well as past.

The Holy Spirit enabled me to see the connection between this verse and another, one that I mull over when faced with reminders of other incidents I wish I could change. That verse is also in 2 Corinthians, 8:12: "If there is a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have."

My eyes and heart are opened to a direct link! What Paul expresses in one verse, he says with different words in another: When we are helpless, Christ is able. This refers to every moment of every day, past, present, and future, by the way! May we be still enough to hear His quiet, powerful instruction. 

Speaking of powerful instruction....

A wonderful memory I have is that of my dad reading to me as a little girl. I loved the voices he'd use for the characters in picture books. A collection of my books were destroyed by a water leak. I recalled a Babar one that had been a favorite, although I could never remember the title.

A month ago, coming back from a Pens hockey game in Raleigh, we stopped by a massive antiques store in Burlington. Guess what I found...(and in an antiques store!!!!)? 

Immediately I recognized it! I had to have it! And would you believe there were actually two copies in this store?! I took pictures and sent them to my dad, asking if he remembered. Of course he did! I can still hear him changing his voice to fit the characters. Guess who else does that when she reads to her children? 

Woe to the individual past age 8 who discards his or her picture books! May we never, ever grow weary of the richness of these treasures. All too soon, it seems that educators (traditional and home alike) rush to put away the "little kid" books and usher kids into something that seems more "grown-up." Christ Himself states that we are not truly portraying His kingdom unless we demonstrate the innocence of children (Matthew 18:3). 

To quote Charlotte Mason, "...the answer cannot be given in the form of 'Do' this and that, but rather as an invitation to 'Consider' this and that: action follows when we have thought duly. The life of the mind is sustained upon ideas; there is no intellectual vitality in the mind to which ideas are not presented several times...every day." (A Philosophy of Education). So, does that mean that children's books are full of "ideas" and things to "consider"? YES!!!!

How can they not be, if the Creator of the universe tells us to humble ourselves like children, because His kingdom belongs to "such as these"? We sell children short. Mason has much more to say on the subject: 

"But the children ask for bread and we give them a stone...Our business is to give them mind-stuff...for the best thought the world possesses is stored in books; we must open books to children...every modern educational movement tends to belittle them intellectually."

"So," you say, "my kids are eight and nine; shouldn't we be focusing more on chapter books than the skinny ones with pictures?" NO!!!!! Rather, focus on every bit of it! Take your bag to the library and fill it up! Never, never, never fall into the trap of being too "old" for a picture book! All of America needs more doses of good, rich children's literature!

In fact, a few weeks ago, I checked a picture book out specifically for myself, for the "little girl" who so loves to be read to. She still deserves a "mind sustained upon ideas," and "open books" that provide "mind-stuff." That mind-stuff can come out of anything from Charles Spurgeon to Marc Brown's Arthur! Sometimes I check out picture books just for myself!

The other day, one of my children was late getting down to breakfast. I decided to pull out a library book and read aloud while we lingered at the table. The next thing I knew, it was over an hour later, and we'd gone through all the books in the bag! It's a ritual I hope to repeat often.

Here are some that we enjoyed that day:

Earl is a lovable squirrel who can't figure out how to get his own acorns. He cleverly surprises his mother and readers with his smarts, and delights with his innocent charm!



Remember the poem "Casey at the Bat," which you probably read at some point in high school? Endear yourself to it anew with Patricia Polacco's version! This is a wonderful way to introduce a classic to kids.

It hasn't taken much to make me a Polacco fan! Thunder Cake is the creative tale of a girl whose grandmother uses her resources to end the child's fear of thunderstorms. As in Casey, Polacco's illustrations mesmerize.




And who can resist the animals of Jan Brett? She puts great love into her work. The Turnip is the funny story of some animals who aren't sure how their turnip is going to come out of the ground...until they receive unexpected help from some other animal friends!  




Finally, do you remember Mike Mulligan? I had always heard of it, but had never actually read this classic. Boy, had I been missing out! I felt like a kid who, upon the story's ending, wanted to say, "Read it again!" Yeah, that's what picture books do, even to adults.




One adult in my life has alluded to me several times about not being read to as a child, not once. Not once. God has wisdom in this, as in everything else: "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten...You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied" (Joel 2:25-26). Well, the way the Lord spoke to me about helping this individual get back those years is to sit down and read him a picture book! I'm learning to be obedient to God's direction, even if it seems downright crazy. His ways aren't mine, after all. 

Anyway, as I mulled over this idea for a few days and had pushed it aside, I came across the perfect book: 

That little child was finally read to! I don't know who enjoyed it more; the "kid" (who is actually an adult), or me! How wonderful to be used by God for His redemptive plan. Never underestimate the power of a book, or anything else, to be used by God to bring joy, healing, and restoration in any situation. I wonder how many more adults out there yearn to be read a good children's book, to be shown that they matter? How many children want to throw standardized testing and "Common Core" out the window and just hear a solid story with "voices," not to spit out the information, but just because? Do it...for yourself, and your children! 

Another bit of "literature"...
I have a copy of the Spartanburg (SC) High School student handbook from when my mom was in school. Believe it or not, this comes from a version revised in 1962: 

We have swung too far in a mere fifty-six years. I'm grateful for the freedom to model my own school after a code more like this than after those that have kicked God out. His way will never go out of style.

Finally....

I had a dream about my grandfather, "PeepEye," last night. I don't recall details, but what was important was his presence, and his gladness to see me. There was joy in the fact that we were going to spend time together. I'm glad that twenty-five years after his death, I'm still allowed vivid glimpses of him. The Lord is gracious to me in many, many examples such as this. 

Don't be afraid to "feel," even with tenderhearted tears and lament. Our enemy hates for God's people to feel love, empathy, and beauty. He is out to crush it. I strongly encourage crushed adults to get back what has been stolen, to take back those years the locusts have eaten. Fight! (1 Timothy 6:12).