My Heart for Homeschooling Families From Sea to Shining Sea from Charlene Notgrass

I was blessed to meet hundreds of homeschooling parents last year between the shores of the Atlantic and the Pacific. I am so impressed with you and your children.

I worry about you sometimes, though. I’ve been a part of the homeschooling movement for more than twenty years–long enough to see trends come and go, long enough to meet many people I respect, and long enough to be disappointed. I don’t want disappointing realities to discourage you.

No matter what anyone tells you, there is no formula for producing the perfect homeschool, for raising perfect children, or for building the perfect Christian family.

No matter how reputable a homeschool spokesman is or how popular a homeschool speaker is, not one of these leaders is perfect. You cannot swallow anyone’s words hook, line, and sinker (I have only held a fishing pole in the water twice in my life; how did that idiom get into my vocabulary?).

I am reminded of a hymn that our congregation sang as I was growing up. We could have sung it anytime, but we didn’t. We sang it after someone was baptized. Kentuckian Thomas Obediah Chisholm (1866-1960) wrote the words. It was published in 1905. This is the last verse:

Only in Thee, dear Savior, slain,
Losing Thy life my own to gain,
Trusting, I’m cleansed from ev’ry stain;
Thou art my only plea.
Only in Thee my heart will delight,
Till in that land where cometh no night
Faith will be lost in heavenly sight,
Only, dear Lord, in Thee!

I like to eat healthy and I even grind my own wheat, but my hope is in “the living bread that came down out of heaven” (John 6:51, NASB).

Modesty is important to me, but I don’t like arbitrary rules about it. When we are “clothed . . . with Christ” (Galatians 3:27), we don’t need people’s rules.

I believe that children need godly training, but it must be based on Scripture which is “inspired by God and profitable . . .  for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Don’t let the successes or failures of leaders distract you from the most important things. Don’t let them stand as your judges and make you feel inferior or like a failure. Fall at the foot of the Cross and entrust your children to the One you trust. Lead them to Him.

Do not trust in princes,
In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.
Psalm 146:3, NASB

Rowan's memories

We were sitting on the bed after AWANA, preparing to go to bed, when suddenly Rowan said, " Mommy,
I miss Mr. Will."

"I know.  I miss him, too."

"He used to say to us, 'Good job!   High five?'  If water got in my nose or my mouth, he said, 'Raise your hands and say, Hallelujah!'  He would say, 'Good job.  See you next week!'  He said, your kids are good swimmers.  They are good kids."

"Yes, he did say those things."

Memories...

I love helpful, compassionate children

We were doing school and I decided it was time for a break.  So I went and took a quick shower where I tweaked something in my upper back (man, I'm getting old).  I was in pain.  I slowly made it back to my bed and collapsed.  I thought we can finish school, I can read while laying down I tried to lift my head and knew that wasn't going to work.

Jory asked what was wrong and I told him my back hurt and he jumped into action.  Bony elbows, karate hand chops, deep nine-year-old massaging.  I was able after a bit to turn my head to the side and we practiced Bible verses.  I thought about doing more but the pain was too much, so instead I told the kids they could watch a movie.

Rowan raced to her room to get Strawberry Shortcake, which I knew Jory wouldn't be down with.  He came back with Cars.  I convinced my big girl that since Jory had chosen a movie for a while, we'd let him choose the movie this time.  She agreed.  I instructed them, to stay on the bed, not to get in front of the pillow which was their barrier to being too close to the laptop monitor, not to bother a sleeping Oma, and to not leave the room.  I painfully moved myself to the other side of the bed and went to sleep.  Older kids who know how to turn on DVDs on laptops rock my world!

I woke up to an argument about which movie to put in next.  I looked down at my glow in the dark Swatch (greatest watches EVER) and saw it was 11:30.

"You can't watch another movie it's 11:30.  Go to bed," my voice startled them.

"Mom- -" my big girl began- -

"I love you, night night," I said lovingly, then little bodies got off the bed and tucked their own selves in.  Though I did wake up with a head on my chest, so I'm not sure if Layla ever left or she left and came back.  A queen size bed is just not big enough for her and another human being.

I love kids who follow directions and let their in pain mommies sleep.

Russell Kelfer

I needed to hear this on Sunday.

You are who you are for a reason

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what He wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones He chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God.


Nice to hear, to be reminded of, after reading this:


http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-man-charged-jefferson-park-stabbing-death-20131231,0,6585479.story#axzz2pemt6QZD


A 44-year-old Los Angeles resident has been charged in the fatal stabbing of a man in Jefferson Park on Dec. 20, officials said.

Michael Allen McGilvery was arrested Friday after he walked into the 77th Street Community Police Station to turn himself in, said LAPD Det. Supervisor Sal LaBarbera.

McGilvery is suspected of stabbing William Jennings, 35, with a knife multiple times in Jefferson Park. Jennings was on his way to the store about 10:15 p.m. when he got into an altercation with McGilvery, LaBarbera said.

After the stabbing, McGilvery grabbed Jennings’ wallet and fled from the scene, police allege.

“We don’t know what the motive was. It was some sort of dispute,” LaBarbera said.

Jennings leaves behind a wife and 11-year-old daughter, according to a news release from the LAPD.

After police released surveillance video of the stabbing, people who know McGilvery tried to persuade him to turn himself in.

McGilvery has been charged with one count of murder and one count of second-degree robbery, according to a felony complaint filed by Los Angeles County prosecutors. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday and is being in lieu of $1-million bail.

The police are asking anyone with additional information about the case to call Det. Paul Funicello or Det. Matt Courtney at (213) 485-4341. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

Really

"Maybe she's smoking and watching TV," the baby said, about her oldest living great aunt, when I informed her that she and her Irish twin might go over there today while Mommy went out.

Is that really how she sees Aunt Carol?  Granted when we go over there in the evenings, to drop something off, she is winding down with some black and white show and a cigarette, but still.  What about the singing Aunt Carol we see all dolled up at church?  Nope.  Maybe we need to go over there more during the daylight hours so she can get new images of Aunt Carold

We love you, Will!

http://ktlane.ws/1cLwPEc

TTT's swim coach was murdered on Friday night. I can't stop crying. What a great man. He loved God, loved his wife, daughter, step-son. He was a hardworking man.

Today, I was annoyed with him, I'd been leaving him messages and he hadn't called returned them. I thought maybe he hadn't paid his cell bill, so I called his wife to get a hold of him and instead the news that greeted me was this.

Pray for his wife, his parents, his children.

When I was crying in the car, Jory said to me, "Don't cry, Mommy. You'll see him in heaven." Out of the mouth of babes.

I'm sad, but rejoice in knowing that I will see him again. And I feel very blessed that for the last five years he was a part of my family's lives.

I talked to his widow again tonight and she warned me that she was going to break down when she saw the kids, because Will really loved them and bragged about them to everyone. They were his kids. He loved them and was so proud of them. I feel bad that the baby and Rowan might not remember him as the years pass. But I'll do what I can to keep the memories alive.

God is good all the time. All the time God is good. While I cry for our loss, Will is having the best Christmas ever spending it with the birthday boy who was born in Bethlehem.

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's nearly 6AM, which in my world means I slept in on my birthday.  Yippee!  I am thankful God has allowed me so graciously to see another birthday.  And not just see another birthday, but to see one with two of the world's worst sleepers next to me who are forever kicking off the covers.  To know that down the hallway is my big girl sleeping away in the room with her Oma.  That on the side of my bed is Jack's cradle waiting for him to come home, but is currently filled with Christmas sweaters and Christmas receipts my baby put in their last night when she was helping me clean the disaster my room had become.  I am blessed we've started a new family tradition where Vandy and Aunt Brenda stay with us for the week of Christmas.

I go to an awesome church in another world that is filled with sound Biblical teaching, good music, and loving, caring congregations.  I have the best friends and family on the planet.  A great job with good bosses and good co-workers.  I am truly blessed.  And there are no episodes of the Sing-Off I get to watch, maybe even tonight.  The Sing-Off rocks.  Maybe TTT needs to become an acapella group.  That would be hot!

Happy Birthday to me!  And thank you to everyone whose prayers, love, encouragement, truth, chats have helped shape me into the person I am today. 

It would take hours and days at a time
For me to sit down and write down all the things He's done
But let me say this
It's nothing I've done
It's the grace He gives freely to everyone

God's been good to me
Oh my God has been good
He is good
He was good
He will be good
He's always good
All the time He is good