Getting Dressed

Last night during our family worship time, Jeff read to us from Colossians 3 and 4.  This verses from chapter three, though, really stood out to me.

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another;  even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body;  and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through Him.   Colossians 3:  12-17




As he was reading I could see each one of us getting dressed each morning and adding on each of these qualities layer upon layer.  How good and pleasant would it be if we could just go to our closets or drawers and physically PUT these qualities upon our bodies.  Oh, if it were as easy as that!!  Dressing ourselves each day with all of the following traits:

          -tender mercies
          -kindness
          -humility
          -meekness
          -longsuffering
          -bearing with one another
          -forgiving one another
          -love
          -peace
          -be thankful
          -grace

Sounds almost impossible, doesn't it?  And it is!   It is only through Christ's righteousness that we can exhibit any of these qualites and even then it isn't always easy.  I fail. every. single. day.  At the end of a busy day of homeschooling, cooking, cleaning, errand running and child training it is so easy to think only of myself, to get tired of answering just one more question, of listening to one more piece on the piano, to hear the constant drumming, banging, snapping that one son MUST do (he has so much music and rhythm within him that it MUST come out!), one more dish to wash, one more load of laundry to fold....It's tiring and I snap, fail.  But then I remember that even though I do struggle, I do not depend upon my own works for salvation.  I can rest on HIS righteousness and not my own weak self.  How wonderful and precious is that?

The following poem, written many, many years ago by Charitie Lees De Chenez is so special to me.  I cannot get through singing it at church without tears, but the third stanza is generally where I break down.  Yes, I will strive to clothe myself in all the qualities listed in Colosians 3, but will daily remember that Christ has paid it all and has clothed me, even me, with His righteousness.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea,
A great High Priest, whose Name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.


My name is graven in His hands.
My name is written on His heart;
I know that, while in heaven He stands.
No tongue can bid me thence depart.


When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.


Because the sinless Saviour died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God the Just is satisfied
To look on Him, and pardon me.


Behold Him there! the risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace!


One with Himself, I cannot die,
My soul is purchased by His blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Saviour and my God.

Psalm 34

Photo courtesy of Jordan Chamblee

Psalm 34 

(Nahum Tate, 1652-1715 and Nicholas Brady, 1659-1726)

Through all the changing scenes of life, 

In trouble and in joy,

The praises of my God shall still

My heart and tongue employ.

Of His deliverance I will boast,

Till all that are distressed

From my example comfort take,

And charm their griefs to rest.

O magnify the Lord with me,

With me exalt His Name;

When in distress to Him I called, 

He to my rescue came.

The hosts of God encamp around

The dwellings of the just;

Deliverance He affords to all

Who on His succour trust.

O make but trial of His love, 

experience will decide

How blessed are they, and only they,

Who in His truth confide.

Fear Him, ye saints, and you will then

Have nothing else to fear;

Make you His service your delight,

Your wants shall be His care.

He Sees

I shared in a post earlier this summer about Amy Carmichael's view of education.  I recently re-read that post and thought I would highlight a little portion of that once again.  Always on the search for motivation not only for myself, but for my children, I printed this little poem out in a nice font to display in a prominent area.  I think I will even make it our copy work assignment for today and have some of the children memorize it.  I hope it speaks to you.

Jesus, Savior, dost Thou see

When I'm doing work for Thee?

Common things, not great and grand,

Carrying stones and earth and sand?

I did common work, you know,

Many, many years ago;

And I don't forget.  I see

Everything you do for Me.

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance;  for you serve the Lord Christ.  

Colossians 3:  23-24

Homeschooling Update

Yes, we are still homeschooling!!  Even though I (we) have been busy with early gardening and milk production the book learning is continuing.   I thought I would give you a run-down of what is going on in the homeschooling arena at Busy Hands Busy Minds.

Together we are studying the War Between the States.  In our group time we begin the day reading a chapter of Proverbs and a chapter from the Psalms.  We review our Latin or Greek root for the week from English from the Roots Up.  I have then been reading through Facts the Historians Leave Out A Confederate Primer by John S. Tilley.  We finish that up today and will begin Walt Whitman's Civil War Poetry and Prose.  We had started Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, but just couldn't stand it.  I decided it was fine if the children just had a small taste of it and knew the history of this fictional story written by Stowe using second and third party sources.  It is said that upon meeting Stowe in 1863, President Lincoln said, " So, this is the woman that wrote the book that caused this war."  We are also reading Two Little Confederates by Thomas Nelson Page and Call of Duty:  The Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee by J. Steven Wilkins.  We are using All American History Volume 2 by Celeste W. Rakes as our spine for our history studies and hope to finish up our two year stretch of American history this fall.   The older two boys and I are also studying the rather hefty volume The War Between the States:  America's Uncivil War by John J. Dwyer.  This is a fascinating book and has lots of great quotes that you most likely have not read in any other modern day textbook.  Devin (22) is taking the children through A Young Scholar's Guide to Composers by Melissa E. Craig and Maggie S. Hogan.  She meets with them once a week for this and we are supposed to listen to the music selections throughout the week.

Jordan (18) is studying Biblical Economics by R. C. Sproul, Jr. which he is greatly enjoying.  He has edited several programs for The Homeschool Channel on economics and many of R.C. Sproul's talks as well and finds them very interesting and beneficial.  He is also studying American literature through Learning Language Arts through Literature, doing an algebra review using VideoText and is doing lots of research on homesteading topics.  He is pretty much in charge of our gardening endeavors this year and has started hundreds of plants indoors and out and has built all of our raised beds and some planters by himself.  He is quite the handyman.  In addition to his film editing responsibilities at The Homeschool Channel, he spends a few hours a week taking and editing photos of his own.  He also has a huge stack of homesteading, theology and historical works that he is reading through.

Aaron(14)  is plugging through Apologia's Physical Science.  This has been a stretch for me to prepare and keep up with as most of our science studies have previously been through unit studies as a family.  Aaron feels led to study medicine, so we felt he needed to have a more formal science curriculum.  I am interested in looking at other science curriculum to see if I can find a better fit.  He has recently started VideoText algebra with Jeff and is finishing up Learning Language Arts through Literature (green).  He also using Daily Grams for daily grammar review. He is also using Building Thinking Skills Book 3 and doing some spelling review through Natural Speller.   Typing and Quarter Mile math drills are done on the computer.  He does Spanish independently using PowerGlide.  I hope to move him to Rosetta Stone this next year.  He also greatly enjoys reading through the Ballantyne books of world wide adventure stories and is reading some theological works, historical fiction and biographies.  Practicing piano, drawing, painting, chores,  and editing audio programs for his dad's home business round out his days.

Kaelan (11) is studying plants through Answers in Genesis God's Design for Life series.  Jackson is tagging on this study at times. She started a pressed flower collection and will be doing some identification of plants as well.   She is working through Teaching Textbook 6, typing and Quarter Mile math drills on the computer.  She also likes to email extended family members frequently.  ; )  She keeps up with family members all over the world!  She is studying Learning Language Arts through Literature (purple) with Daily Grams for daily grammar review.  Spelling lists come from Natural Speller and she is also using Building Thinking Skills Book 2.  Kaelan also has a tall stack of books that she is reading from based on our history studies, but usually pulls some old favorites from the bookshelves to read as well.  I think she is now reading Little Women...again!

Jackson(6) is finishing up the primer level of Math U See and will be starting MUS Foundations (the old version) as soon as it comes in.  I decided to put him in the older version because we already have the teacher's edition and I have already gone through it myself, ummm, like three other times and it won't be something that I have to relearn. ; )  We are s l o w l y making our way through Alphaphonics.  Little by little, bit by bit, I am seeing progress.  One of the great advantages of  homeschooling is that we can go as slow or as fast as we need to.  Right now, for this child and his phonics studies it is slow going.  And that is OK!!  He is using the Italic Handwriting Series as have all of my children.  I think I like it much more than any of them do.  Jackson participates in most of our group time and usually enjoys coloring a page from a historical Dover coloring book while he listens in.  I am trying to have some time each week where he is listening to audio books like Charlotte's Web or programs such as Your Story Hour or Jonathan Park.  He is read to daily by either me, Jeff or one or more of his siblings and he "reads" books by himself several times a day.  His favorite right now is  David Macaulay's The Way Things Work.


Two year old Caedmon is now enrolled in Potty Training 101.  He is now 2 1/2 (as of tomorrow) and as the weather is warming and he can now go half dressed without getting too chilled, big sister Devin has declared it TIME!.   We have been putting him on the potty for several months before bath time and he has had some success.  We are now going into full mode with training pants (no pull-ups here).  Diapers are still going on at nap and bedtimes.  Caedmon enjoys books, puzzles and most of the activities in his daily boxes.  Some of my favorite resources for this age come from Lauri and Melissa and Doug.   Some of the activity bags and folders have become too easy for him and I need to reorganize his materials.  He is a genius, I tell you, a genius!

So, that is what is going on in the homeschooling department of Busy Hands Busy Minds.  If things weren't so busy around here I would have linked all these wonderful resources so that you could look at them and purchase from my affiliate links, but my children need more time from me than this blog does.  If you have a question about any resource, please leave me a comment and I will get back to you ASAP.    Thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Simple Things

Last night I had the two little boys at home with me while everyone else went to church.  They watched a little movie while I did some cleaning and talked to my mom on the phone.  After we took our nightly meds and brushed teeth we climbed into my bed to snuggle and read books.  Jackson was so excited!  Now, reading books together is really nothing new, but to be the only ones at home and to be allowed to get in my bed and snuggle together WHILE we are reading is not an everyday occurrence.  This was special.

After I got the boys to stop jumping on the bed we read Good Night, Everyone Good Night by Harriet Ziefert and The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf.  Jackson picked out both books for our evening reading time.  After we finished reading and discussing each book (Ferdinand is a bull in Spain and is picked to go to the bull fights in Madrid--I have actually been to a bull fight in Madrid, so could add lots of information to the background) we set the books aside and tried to go to sleep.  As he has done before, sweet six year old Jackson reached for my hand and laced his fingers through mine.  What a sweet and precious moment!  One I know most likely won't be repeated by him in a few more years.

Today, I am going to slow down a little bit (no big milk production going on today, Michelle) and spend some more time with these little guys.  It won't be long until they are just a big as the older boys and  won't be wanting to snuggle with their old mom in the bed reading picture books.  Today we will make tomorrow's memories.....and I hope they are all good!

My precious little guys!

Caedmon Alexander-2

Thomas Jonathan Jackson-6



For a Child
Fannie Stearns Davis

Your friends shall be the Tall Wind,
The River and the Tree;
The Sun that laughs and marches,
The Swallows and the Sea.

Your prayers shall be the murmur
Of grasses in the rain;
The song of wildwood thrushes
That makes God glad again.

And you shall run and wander,
And you shall dream and sing
Of brave things and bright things
Beyond the swallow's wings.

And you shall envy no man,
Nor hurt your heart with sighs,
For I will keep you simple
That God may make you wise.

Read Aloud

Do you read to your children?   Do you share great stories of adventure?  Do you read stories to your children that encourage them to live lives that glorify God?  Do you read the Bible to your children?

Reading aloud to my children is  a big part of our day.  I generally have a historical fiction and a biography that I am reading to the children in addition to our daily chapter in Proverbs and Psalms.  Caedmon and Jackson get extra time as we snuggle on the couch to read picture books together.

I found this sweet poem that depicts a child's view of what happens when mother reads aloud and thought I would share with you today.  If you are not reading aloud to your children I encourage you to do so.  I have so many precious memories of time spent with my children and a good book.

When Mother Reads Aloud
  Anonymous


When Mother reads aloud, the past
     Seems real as every day;
I hear the tramp of armies vast,
I see the spears and lances cast,
     I join the trilling fray;
Brave knights and ladies fair and proud
I meet when Mother reads aloud.


When Mother reads aloud, far lands
     Seem very near and true;
I cross the desert's gleaming sands,
Or hunt the jungle's prowling bands,
     Or sail the ocean blue.
Far heights, whose peaks the cold mists shroud,
I scale, when Mother reads aloud.


When Mother reads aloud, I long
     for noble deeds to do--
To help the right, redress the wrong;
It seems so easy to be strong,
     So simple to be true.
Oh, thick and fast the visions crowd
My eyes, when Mother reads aloud.
     


Now the little boys have removed the cushions from the couch and are preparing a nice, cozy spot on the floor for our time of reading together.  Grab a book and join us!!  Do you have a favorite book that you have shared with your children?  A book that has inspired you?  A book that has blessed your family?  I would love to hear about it!!

Another Year, Another Day, Another Moment

School plans have not yet been written down for this next year.  They are still floating around in my mind.  We have lots of  plans for our family, business and service opportunities, and Jeff has asked that our school studies be built around those plans....which can make things quite interesting!

As I contemplate what the new year holds and think about writing monthly, weekly and daily plans,  I always remind myself to leave some blank spaces.  God's plans are always bigger and better than ours and if we fill our days too full of our plans then we don't make room for His.

As normal, we started back to school yesterday, trying to get back into a routine of Bible study, read alouds and all the other things we do....when I had a child come down with a fever and sore throat.  It really almost seems to never fail.  A wrench thrown into my day....or God saying hang on and love on this child a little more for the day.

After a sleepless night for some of us I am contemplating a trip to the doctor....I suspect strep throat....which will mean being out for the entire day as we also start back with piano lessons this afternoon.....which will mean that my older students will be on their own for independent work and we won't get to our group studies.....which will put us behind before we even really get going.  And, then, I remind myself that one of our chief goals in homeschooling our children is to just be a family who loves the Lord, loves each other and loves to learn.  Education doesn't just happen when we are sitting down with the books.  I am educating my children as they watch me serve them and serve their father, watching my attitude...whether I am serving joyfully or in a way that makes them think they are in the way or are interruptions.  I find myself wandering here in my sleep-deprived state so I will leave you with words much more eloquently written.

The following poem was posted two years ago as we began a new year then.  Someone suggested that I repost it this year.  I think we could change the word "year" to "day" or even "minute".

Another Year Is Dawning 

Another year is dawning,
dear Father, let it be

In working or in waiting,
another year with Thee.

Another year of progress,
another year of praise,

Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies,
of faithfulness and grace,

Another year of gladness
in the shining of Thy face;

Another year of leaning
upon Thy loving breast;

Another year of trusting,
of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service,
of witness for Thy love,

Another year of training
for holier work above.

Another year is dawning,
dear Father, let it be

On earth, or else in Heaven,
another year for Thee.


Words by Frances R. Havergal, 1874. She wrote these words as a poem for her New Year's greeting cards. www.hymntime.com

Thankfully So

Caedmon--2008

Caedmon--2010

Large Family Mothering shared this poem today and I thought it was worth sharing here as well.  Yes, I am tied down....and so thankful that God made it so!

Tied Down, by Edgar A. Guest

"They tie you down," a woman said,
Whose cheeks should have been flaming red
With shame to speak of children so.


"When babies come you cannot go
In search of pleasure with your friends,
And all your happy wandering ends.
The things you like you cannot do,
For babies make a slave of you."


I looked at her and said: "'Tis true
That children make a slave of you,
And tie you down with many a knot,
But have you never thought to what
It is of happiness and pride
That little babies have you tied?


Do you not miss the greater joys
That come with little girls and boys?
"They tie you down to laughter rare,
To hours of smiles and hours of care,
To nights of watching and to fears;
Sometimes they tie you down to tears
And then repay you with a smile,
And make your trouble all worth while.


They tie you fast to chubby feet,
And cheeks of pink and kisses sweet.
"They fasten you with cords of love
To God divine, who reigns above.
They tie you, whereso'er you roam,
Unto the little place called home;
And over sea or railroad track
They tug at you to bring you back.
The happiest people in the town
Are those the babies have tied down.


"Oh, go your selfish way and free,
But hampered I would rather be,
Yes rather than a kingly crown
I would be, what you term, tied down;
Tied down to dancing eyes and charms,
Held fast by chubby, dimpled arms,
The fettered slave of girl and boy,
And win from them earth's finest joy."

Note to Self

I Took His Hand and Followed
Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.