Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Work while you work...



















I heard this quote from a speaker at MOPS a few years ago, and I love it to remind my kids about doing their work doing school time. It may be a good one for you to print out too!


Work while you work, 
Play while you play;
This is the way
To be happy each day.

All that you do,
Do with all your might;
Things done by halves

Are never done right.


Reminds me of this verse:

Colossians 3:22-24
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.


1 Chronicles 28:20
David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.


Psalm 90:17
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Music Monday: "Beautiful Messes"

Last week, I was walking to get some exercise while my kids were in their co-op classes. I used to do a Mom's exercise class during our co-op time, but my schedule shifted this fall, so I'm walking instead. I was walking and listening to Spotify on my phone, and I heard this song. It had a great beat to walk to, and I LOVED the lyrics and message. I was having a less than perfect day that day, and even though I try and try to be "good enough", I fail daily. I am a sinner in need of our graceful God. This song is a powerful reminder that God uses sinners just like me to accomplish His plans on a daily basis. WOW!

Many friends may know Hillary Scott from her popular song, "Thy Will" which is another song of hers that I enjoy. She is the co-lead singer of Lady Antebellum. Her family is quite musical too.  I hope you enjoy this song.




"Beautiful Messes" by Hillary Scott and the Scott family
Are you spinning in a lie that keeps on telling you
That you're not good enough
When you're looking in the mirror
Do you see someone impossible to love?

Full of fragile broken pieces
We're all rough around the edges

We ain't perfect no
We ain't even close
We got holes in our hearts
We got scars we don't show
But all that baggage we
Keep on dragging around
Anytime we start laying it down

Lay it down at the foot of the cross
Give it to the one who can carry it all
Even at our worst, to him we ain't lost causes
Just beautiful messes

We're all David's we're all Mary's
We've been liars, thieves and everything between
But don't forget God used the misfits just like us
To do the most amazing things

So bring your faults, your flaws, your secrets
And watch him use those broken pieces

'Cause we ain't perfect no
We ain't even close
We got holes in our hearts
We got scars we don't show
But all that baggage we
Keep on dragging around
Anytime we start laying it down

Lay it down at the foot of the cross
Give it to the one who can carry it all
Even at our worst, to him we ain't lost causes
Just beautiful messes

No matter where you are right now
Let thy grace come pouring down
It won't run out, it won't run out

We ain't perfect no
We ain't even close
We got holes in our hearts
We got scars we don't show
But all that baggage we
Keep on dragging around
Anytime we start laying it down

Lay it down at the foot of the cross
Give it to the one who can carry it all
Even at our worst, to him we ain't lose causes
Ooh lay it down at the foot of the cross
Give it to the one who can carry it all
Even at our worst, to him we ain't lost causes
Just beautiful messes
Beautiful messes, yeah

Read more:  Hillary Scott - Beautiful Messes Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

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You can listen to this song online here.


Psalm 68:19
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

John 10:17-18
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. Noone takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Thursday, September 15, 2016

The school bell

A Bell. A school bell. It roused me out of my sleep early one morning in early August, coming through the open window in my bedroom. My children are homeschooled, so we don't abide by the bell system. I laid in my warm, cozy bed and reveled in it. As I lay there, I was very thankful that I am a teacher, and I could still be in my bed at 8:00 am. My son does attend band at our local middle school. He rides his bike there every school day. This year his band class begins at 8:05 a.m. He is pretty self-sufficient at getting himself out the door. He returns home at about 8:55. We begin our homeschool day at about 9:00 every week day.

My oldest daughter is also taking an early morning college class. She leaves our home at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursday to drive to the local university. We are not really early morning people, we tend to be night owls. But my son is usually the first person awake in our home. As he goes off to band, my husband and I are usually climbing in the shower. We get dressed and eat breakfast while he is gone, as do our younger daughters.

The school system in our town began this year's school year on August 10. That is too early for us. We didn't begin our school year this fall until August 22. So I reveled in my bed for an extra week and a half. I listened to the bell from the middle school which is about 1/2 mile from our home. I feel sorry for the kids who need to be there before 8:00 a.m. I love our homeschool schedule.


We do have a little silver bell too. We ring it very occasionally. We mostly use it when the learners are upstairs and we don't want to yell, "Let's start!" The bell's tone sounds much nicer than a yelling, nagging parent.

We do use alarm clocks to get us out of bed, of course. But we rise slowly, and smile just a little, at the fact that we are not rushing our children out the door to our local elementary school (also nearby) or middle school early in the morning. We can have a leisurely morning. And some days, that is really needed. I'll take slow and leisurely over rushing, hurrying any day. Yes please. And we are thankful that the school bell down the street does not usually involve our kids.

The bell gives us a smile. Just one more reason we enjoy homeschooling.


This blog post is linked up with Mama Kat's writer's workshop writing prompts.
#2. Write a blog post inspired by the word: bell.



Exodus 28:34
The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe.

Exodus 28:35
Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die.

Zechariah 14:20
On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

ECC: World cake!

Last week in our geography studies of the world, we made a "world' cake, decorated with blue and green frosting, like the ocean waters and a few continents. It was fun to make together with them, and they did most of the frosting! Sometimes homeschool can be delicious!

This was part of our studies through our My Father's World curriculum. This year we will be Exploring Countries and Cultures (ECC). We have enjoyed it thus far, and the kids have a lot to learn. I enjoy geography and maps. When I was younger I would read maps to find funny names of cities in the USA. I'm looking forward to teaching them more country names and places. We are beginning this week (after our introduction the past 2 weeks) with our home country, the USA. Next we will study other countries in North America. It is sure to be an adventurous year!


 The inside of the world tastes pretty sweet! :-D


John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Exodus 34:10
Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.

Psalm 24:1-3
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Kids getting glasses!

Some of you may remember my recent post about me getting glasses last fall. You can find it here. Well, after putting it off all summer, we finally took our three kids to the eye doctor a few weeks ago. The two older ones I thought would need glasses, but as an added surprise, our 9-year-old daughter (10 next month) needed them too! She had mostly been talking about things that happen to me, such as floaties in her eyes, and black spots after looking at light. The eye doctor assured us that those are normal things. But then the Dr. said that Mallory needs glasses for reading! She has never been a book lover. She has not finished many chapter books. I thought it was just because she is busy and possibly has ADD. But maybe it is because she needed glasses for a while! I hope they help each of my kids become better students, get less headaches and understand more.

Here are some photos of the new glasses we picked up last week, in much excitement...

 SO stylish and smart!
 Mallory chose green frames and Rebekah chose black.

 Guess who they're related to? My hubby and I both got glasses when we were in college...
But many members of our families have glasses too! They've joined a new club. The first few days, they were the cleanest glasses ever, because the two middle kids cleaned them every few minutes! : -D


Isaiah 59:9-10

So justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us.
We look for light, but all is darkness;
for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
Like the blind we grope along the wall,
feeling our way like people without eyes.
At midday we stumble as if it were twilight;
among the strong, we are like the dead.


John 12:39-41
For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor turn—and I would heal them.”

Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
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