Weekly Wrap-Up HSMJ- Trying for More Organized

Wait, haven't I said that before? Trying for more organized, trying to get a handle on time management, etc.? Yes, yes. I've said it before; many times. Always a work in progress...

This post contains *affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies.

I'm switching back to the Homeschool Mother's Journal "format" {which really doesn't even have a format now} for my weekly wrap-up because it is so organized {when/why did I leave it?}. The need for things to have a place, even here on the blog, is heavy on my mind lately. And so, here's the weekly wrap-up for us: Week 31 {don't bother looking for weeks 20+ as tags; I totally forgot what "week" it was for quite a while} of the 2013/2014 school year.

In my life this week…

...I started the Blogging through the Alphabet. Life-changing, I know. Okay, not really but last time I only got three submissions out of 26. I have drafted eight posts already this time. Perhaps that is life-changing {wink}

I also made a loaf of gluten-free, yeast-free bread on Monday. I didn't care if it was yeast-free but that's what the recipe was. In the greenhouse I planted some more things in pots. The composter is doing well; doesn't stink a bit and it is getting dark like real compost. It still has some to go {quite a bit actually- hubby jokes and says in a few years we may be able to get a wee bit of something to actually use for gardening!} but I'm so excited to see its progress. I've not taken photos lately. Perhaps sometime this week I will get to that.

Finally got around to taking photos on Thursday...but not of the compost lol. Some things had to be replanted because it got cold and snowed right after some sprouts had come up. They froze. Here's the post of when we first started the seeds.

In our homeschool this week…

...my Lee got a job {she started Monday} so things were somewhat shook up here for school. Not just for her. We had to do Round Table earlier some days to be able to include her and not have her too pressed for time. 

On Tuesday I let the kids have some, uh, self-directed time. The weather made it so Lee didn't need to work. They were allowed to do things that they wanted to as long as they fell in the category of school subjects. Fox decided to work on a physics experiment we got {Physics Quest Kit, Spectra 6}. Lee is working with sculpey clay* making mosaic tiles. That's for art and entrepreneurship. {wink} This was after we had Round Table {which included verses, German phrases, hymns, ASL vocabulary, James 1:26, 27 word study, and a density 'experiment'}, art with Fox, and Lee worked on the Weekly Barden; all before lunch! 

I'm getting the Term 3 exams started this week for the last week of May. Officially the last day of school for the 2013/2014 year is May 30. And because it is so close to the end of the year we are doing what we call "Elimination". For this, they figure what books they have less to go and put more focus on those to finish them. Of course, other subjects are not neglected but more effort is put towards those that can be finished sooner. When they are finished, the "elimination" continues on other areas. 

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

...Found this Career Exploration freebie from 7 Sisters Homeschool
...for the 'home' bit- http://www.pinterest.com/angie76/cleaning-schedules/ for help with keeping a clean home {struggling here}
...for mom- More Than Words: Using words to dig deeper into The Word.  {free word study; subscribe to email updates and get it free}

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

...umm, just the usual, I think. Grocery shopping on Thursday, library at some points in between, Lee to work when she gets to, Fox to Young Marines on Wednesday {edited: it was cancelled}, and church on Wednesday {edited: we didn't get home in time} and Sunday. Yeah, I think that is about it. 

The kids did ride their bikes to the library on Tuesday in the early evening after it dried up and got warmer. 

A favorite thing this week was…

...my loaf of bread turned out good! It was yummy and texture was good. I don't think my kids particularly liked it but they aren't really fans of anything but homemade white bread lol.

I made the loaf twice. You can read about it in the newest entry on the post Gluten Free Adventures.

Things I’m working on…

...making a blog plan/schedule again. It feels silly to keep repeating things that I'm working on and just never really get accomplished. Speaking of blog, did I mention that I'm now a contributor to The Homeschool Post? I'm excited and nervous. 

"We" are working on getting our Etsy shop up. We still need some inventory so it will be sometime in May before it actually opens. I'm not linking it yet because it's not ready. That is why Lee has been working on the mosaic tiles. I am trying to get better at using polymer clay. I really would like to make miniature dolls. 

Also I'm working on getting the house in shape. Before internet I used to have a clean house...I mean it is decent now but there's much room for improvement. At one point my mother in law had given me a binder with many reproducibles for keeping organized. I only have a few left and it makes me sad that the ones I really liked I no longer have. I don't even recall who originally designed and sold them.

What's cooking…

...Gluten-free, Yeast-free Oat Bread {if you head that way, I subbed 1/4 cup sweet rice flour & 1/4 cup cornstarch for the 1/2 cup tapioca starch, used 1 TBS honey and used 6 egg whites instead of 3 whole eggs; oh yes, and somehow I didn't add in the correct amount of oat flour.}

...didn't get a menu this week so it's spontaneity galore! {good and bad lol} 

I’ve been reading…

...One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul - 1984 by George Orwell - Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler - The Elizabeth Goudge Reader compiled by Rose ? {can't recall her last name} - ...do the kids' school books count?

Around the web: Words to Cut from Your Writing which I found at Chareen's blog. Beautiful poem by Wordsworth posted by Katie

Things to be grateful for…

...birds - sunshine - wonderful family - God's grace - blessed assurance - {coffee ...seems so insignificant after all those others -smile- and now I want some!}

Praying for…

...many unspoken...cleansing, constantly...confidence...ambition, motivation ...peace...for those affected by flooding and tornadoes... redirection/adjustments for hubby's work...

Some thoughts…

...that just keep cropping up again: do I really want to be a "teacher"? Is there another field that I would prefer when my kiddos are out of the house? I am not going to change direction now that I've started my Master's program but sometimes when I cannot keep focused with my kids, who are with me, right in my face and cannot be ignored {not well anyway lol}, how am I going to do with a classroom full of other people's kids? And I will admit that I'm quite nervous about curriculum in public schools. If I could open a private school, hire teachers that I know would teach for the love of the children and the sake of learning, and go off of a non-public school curriculum I might feel a little more at ease. I just don't know what will be in place when the time comes for me to find a teaching job. Just some thoughts.

A photo, link, or quote to share…

... 

Link:

http://chrissiemurphydesigns.blogspot.com.au/ 

Quote:

Against the just th' Almighty's arrows fly.

For he delights the innocents to try,

To show their constant and their God like mind,

Not by afflictions broken, but refined.

~Sir R. Blackmore 

(quoted by Matthew Henry, 

"Commentary to the Book of Job," 

chapter IX, verse 23)

5 Reasons I Love a CM Education

I wrote this post on 09/12/13; I'm reviving it as a submission to the Carnival of Homeschooling

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies.*

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. My favorite poem begins that way. Today I am going to count the ways that I love homeschooling but more specifically the ways I love a Charlotte Mason education. In absolutely no particular order other than what came to me as I sat to write this.

1. Science of relations. This took me a while to understand when I first heard the term. And it is even possible that I don’t have it down quite yet.

"Education is the Science of Relations"; that is, that a child has natural relations with a vast number of things and thoughts: so we train him upon physical exercises, nature lore, handicrafts, science and art, and upon many living books, for we know that our business is not to teach him all about anything, but to help him to make valid as many as may be of--

         "Those first-born affinities
       "That fit our new existence to existing things."

-Charlotte Mason, Volume 6, page 154, (Principle #12) 

“Our deadly error is to suppose that we are his showman to the universe; and, not only so, but that there is no community at all between child and universe unless such as we choose to set up.”

-CM, Volume 3, page 188

At first I thought this meant that simply they would realize that one book mentioned a person that we’d read about in another book. And in a way this is true; they do and will recognize names and events from one book to another, especially with the books that have been chosen. But it means more than that. They will realize and recognize how these things, –the events, the attitudes, the personalities, the successes and failures- all can be associated with our own lives. Not just our own lives but the world around us. At least that is what I take ‘science of relations’ to mean.

It took me awhile to understand that I am a companion on this educational journey. Teacher, to a point. Facilitator could be a better word. I offer the best that I find, and indeed, shelter from what I consider harmful. But it is up to them to grasp that it is all connected. We joke, half-way, that I raised them wrong; I always gave them the answer when they asked “why”. It’s taken us a couple of years to look for the relationship rather than to just wait for the answer to be given.

2. Freedom. I think that homeschooling offers a lot of freedom. We can choose what we use for our curriculum, what method we use, when we do school, how often we study a subject, and we can do it all in our pjs if we want. We don’t do that last one, by the way. Well, not that often anyway. But a huge ‘freedom’ I find in Charlotte Mason’s education philosophy is the freedom to have God at the center of it all.

“Of the three sorts of knowledge proper to a child, the knowledge of God, of man, and of the universe,––the knowledge of God ranks first in importance, is indispensable, and most happy-making.”

-Charlotte Mason, Volume 6, page 158

Many think that homeschooling because of religious beliefs is ridiculous. And to that I say, I don’t homeschool because of my religious beliefs (but will add if one feels that it is ridiculous to homeschool for that reason, that means their ‘religion’ doesn’t mean much to them). I relish the fact that we can incorporate our beliefs into our school. Charlotte Mason did not have the same ideas that our household holds (she didn’t argue with evolution) but spoke of the importance of God in the lives of children, and their parents.

Religion –a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

-dictionary.com 

“We allow no separation to grow up between the intellectual and 'spiritual' life of children, but teach them that the Divine Spirit has constant access to their spirits, and is their Continual Helper in all the interests, duties and joys of life.”

-Charlotte Mason, Principle #20

Public school or another educational method wouldn’t prevent me from instilling ‘religion’ into my children but having a mentor that puts such importance on it is a wonderful thing.

3. Living books. Not just ‘books’ but ‘living’ books. The difference is amazing. A textbook relays facts and information. Learning can most certainly happen with a textbook. It just isn’t as fun, it doesn’t connect with the reader, and the information may only live in the mind long enough to take a test or finish the task for which the text was assigned. We’ve used Ambleside Online since 2009/2010, Years 5-10 (Y7Lite-10 with my dd; Y5-Y8 with my ds).

Some of our favorite living books that we have used thus far:
English Literature for Boys and Girls by H. E. Marshall
Watership Down* by Richard Adams
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Mere Christianity* by C. S. Lewis
This Country of Ours by H. E. Marshall
Tanglewood Tales by Nathanial Hawthorne
Washington: The Indispensible Man* by James Thomas Flexner

And although neither would agree without some hesitation, The Birth of Britain* by Winston Churchill has been a great book. There are so many more that we’ve used and read through that have been, if not wonderful and joyous, at least enjoyable. The same cannot be said of most of the other methods and curriculums we’ve tried.

*Amazon affiliate links.

4. Challenging yet not crushing. A CM education is challenging. It isn’t easy and I don’t think it is right for everyone. Personally, I do believe that every one can follow and benefit from a CM education, but I am realistic enough to know that there are so many other methods that can be appealing to families, for a variety of reasons. In many public schools, the norm is –or used to be when I was going through it as well as my kids –to give the students text books, quizzes that are full of multiple choice and to feed the information to the students. Many excel in this atmosphere. I know I did; for majority of school, I was almost a straight-A student. It wasn’t until some of my classes in college required me to think outside the text book that I started to realize that spoon-feeding and multiple choice tests weren’t the only way to get an ‘education’. I’m not saying I received a poor education –wait, yes, that is exactly what I’m saying. I didn’t want my kids to have to go down that same boring path. I loved to learn, but hated how I was being taught. My memory was great; my comprehension, and subsequently application, not so great. I’m still working on that.

“…[W]e, believing that the normal child has powers of mind which fit him to deal with all knowledge proper to him, give him a full and generous curriculum; taking care only that all knowledge offered him is vital, that is, that facts are not presented without their informing ideas.”

-Charlotte Mason, Principle #11 (which is followed by “Education is the science of relations”, #1 of my reasons above)

CM advocates gauging how much the student knows through narration. That isn’t the only way, but it is a very integral part. If you cannot tell what you know, in an intelligible, organized, detailed manner, how well did you first, take in the information, and second, process that information? There is the saying that people who can, do; those who can’t, teach. But truly, if you can’t do it, how can you adequately teach it? I think that you can do it without being able to teach it but …how much better to be able to do both.

“As knowledge is not assimilated until it is reproduced, children should 'tell back' after a single reading or hearing: or should write on some part of what they have read.”

-Charlotte Mason, Principle #14

A CM education stretches the mind to focus more on connections, I believe. It goes along with “science of relations”, perhaps. When we read through the books that we do, the “living books”, we gain a connection with all that we are reading about; the atmosphere, the people, the emotions, the events, the results, etc. This is the ‘not crushing’ part. This connection is like a friend that we do not forget. It challenges us to reach farther than just the next mark on our test, the highest grade in the class; it challenges us to reach farther than we had before and beyond a grade. At first the kids, and I’ll admit I did too, had such a difficult time with the choices that came along with the CM method. The kids sometimes preferred fill-in-the-blank and multiple choice assignments! Because they were easy. I’m not giving them easy, but I am giving them tools that they can use to grow, without crushing them.

5. Individual responsibility for learning.  I actually got this from my daughter. She appreciates the ‘self-teaching’ aspect; being able to take any article, book or other resource, whether written, visual or an experience, and find the pertinent bits as opposed to having the ‘answers’ supplied. My kids, being older, do a lot of their work independently. I set forth the books they will read and the resources they can use. By this time they have learned how to read what they know they need to and they know how to study for information. I see it as them taking a responsibility for their own learning.

“Children must learn the difference between "I want" and "I will." They must learn to distract their thoughts when tempted to do what they may want but know is not right, and think of something else, or do something else, interesting enough to occupy their mind. After a short diversion, their mind will be refreshed and able to will with renewed strength.” 

“Children must learn not to lean too heavily on their own reasoning. Reasoning is good for logically demonstrating mathematical truth, but unreliable when judging ideas because our reasoning will justify all kinds of erroneous ideas if we really want to believe them.”

The above quotes are L. N. Laurio’s modern English paraphrases for Charlotte Mason’s Principle #17 & 18. Although it can apply to a multitude of circumstances, I’ve put it here because I think it goes well with having responsibility for one’s actions. Learning is definitely an ‘action’.

Those are my top 5 reasons for loving a CM method for educating. It’s not only for my kiddos and not only for ‘school’. It is for me as well and for life.

 

Circle Time...Not Just for Littles

Okay perhaps I wouldn't call it "Circle Time" with my kids. Although I'm not sure they know that's what it's called in elementary school. When we get together as a family for thanksgiving and prayer, hubby calls it "Round Table". {I like that.} 

The first time I can recall really paying attention to another homeschooler's "Circle Time" was through Cindy Rollins posts about their Morning Time. Reading her posts are always encouraging. I read her posts but, uh, I'll admit I don't pay attention to her posts. Does that make sense? Much like I read Charlotte Mason's books but don't pay attention. If I paid particular attention, I would think I'd have the little seeds planted in my brain, ready to bring forth some sort of fruit. I must pay some attention though, because I keep thinking about this thing Cindy calls Morning Time. {And of course I pay some attention to Charlotte Mason *wink*}

We've started something in the mornings that I would like to expand more into a "circle time". We {the kids and I- hubby is off to work hours before we get started} begin our day with prayer. Actually it goes breakfast, Bible reading and then prayer. We are still a little disconnected when it comes to when we do these things. I eat at 6:30, Fox eats at 7:30 and Lee eats about 8:00-ish. Bible reading is done while eating breakfast. The reason for that is that we are all in different places in our reading. We are all following different schedules. {Note to self: might be a good idea to get us all on the same schedule next year.}

Our prayer time is spent praying for our family, individuals we know and prayer requests that have come to us through our church's prayer bulletin. I've found it has really made a difference in our days. We miss our together time at least once a week, unfortunately, and those days just seem to go poorly. 

I want to include more in our Round Table time. More of the things that, as Cindy points out, I want them to not miss. I can't honestly say that I know that CM talked about a morning meeting but this comment has me wondering if I've just missed the references:

"...as a result of my early home school adventures and the reading of For the Children’s Sake (Susan Schaeffer Macaulay) followed by The Original Home school Series by Charlotte Mason, I began a morning meeting with my children as a way to incorporate subjects that were important to me but easily lost in the shuffle of conventional schooling."

I've read Macaulay's book, but it was a library book with a short loan time. I may have read it faster than I would have liked. I have not read all of CM's works either. They are always in my 'currently reading' pile.

I don't know yet what I will include in our Round Table because Cindy's list looks so long and daunting! She does say though that she's built it up to 2 hours. My kids are clockwatchers *sigh* and if our Round Table {read: prayer time} takes 30 minutes they feel it's been a long time. There's a reason they are clock-watchers- they are also addicted to their screen time {ah, as am I}. When school is done, they are allowed to play their video game. Something to work on...living life not playing video games or living in the virtual world. 

Well, this is something I'm going to be thinking more about and probably {hopefully} posting more about. I sure do wish I could have homeschooled from the start but I am so very glad that I can do it now.

Life After Internet {at home, that is} & Other Going-Ons

I'm in the preparing stage. I haven't gotten to the denial stage, or the anger stage, but I'm sure those will come. It'll be an indefinite separation. 

Of course, I will still have access to the internet at the library. It just won't be the same.

I am looking for blogging schedules to help me organize and maximize my time while online. I am a member of the Facebook group Blogging Homeschoolers, where I was directed to some great templates for just this purpose. Here are my favorites {so far}:

A beautiful but simple planner from Oh the Lovely Things

"My Blog Topics" by Bridgett Edwards

Blog planner {60+ pages!} from Jolanthe

Planner with Review/Sponsors/Ideas pages by Just Another Static Heart

This is the one I used last year {but the link is for this year}:

Confessions of a Homeschooler, free 2013 blog planner

Here are a couple more that I am bookmarking but I don't like quite as much:

Blog Organizer Templates by My Girl Thursday

Weekly Blog Planner by Indie Fixx

I really want ones with minimum amount of color since I have to print them. At our libraries we are allowed to print, for free, 10 pages a day. I could conceivably print them off at the library and save some ink. I will start with a few months printed from home.  

And onto other things. I had a challenge in August to get my Mary Kay business going- and had friends help me meet that challenge. My latest challenge is to help a family in need through my business. I've been praying for which family, or possibly an organization locally, to help. There are two families in my church that come to mind or one 'organization' at a different church that helps the homeless that I am considering. 

My goal? To use the profits from sales through my Mary Kay from the month of September to give to an individual, family, or organization that is chosen. Personally, I could only give a small amount financially but collectively, I know that more can be raised to help those in need. If you'd be interested, please place an order at my website (*no longer active*) and the profit will go to someone in need. If you would like to give and help but would rather not make a purchase, please contact me and I'd be happy to include your donation in with the rest. 

And in more 'other going-ons', I am praying about a couple business opportunities next month. I won't say more about them until I know one way or the other how I should proceed. One is super exciting and I wanted to just jump on it- that was a clue to me that I needed to think it through better. And definitely pray about it. I have a tendency to act before praying or really thinking and then I'm in over my head.

And finally- school is going great! Ah...hehee. Wait, um, I am not supposed to tell fibs. Let's try that again. School is going well. we have 2 more weeks before our next break and we are behind in a few things but chugging along nicely in others. I'm honestly thinking *I* need more discipline and focus than the kids do. My next purchase for school will be a teacher's planner. My plan to use Evernote, while a good plan, isn't working for me so well. I don't refer back to it and instead find myself using random spiral notebooks with pencil & paper. Shocking, I know. 

I did find a website to hopefully help with Fox and I getting through Francis Bacon essays. Hopefully. 

Back to the life after internet: I think I've been trying to cram in as much screen time as possible these last two weeks! I don't know what it is I'm looking for really. The sites I visit are the same I always visit and for the most part, nothing has drastically changed. It's as if I think going Friday through Monday without the internet will change the entire world! I'll get back on and everything I know will be different. Or something like that.

Perhaps it's a little {lot?} like when I gave up gluten or sugar. The week before, I binged on both. I'm sure someone with psychological training and education could tell why I do that. 

Before I forget, there's a few more days to enter the BrimWood Press $25 Gift Card giveaway. It ends 9/14/13 with the winner being chosen randomly by random.org {via Rafflecopter}. There are low entries right now. Only 5 actually! 

Next week I will be sharing about the book Not Just Tacos, even more than I have been through my 'teaser' posts. It's a great cookbook. I'll admit I was pleasantly surprised. 

Alright, well I must get back to my life off of the computer for awhile. 

Contemplating Once Again “Fearfully & Wonderfully Made”

**This post contains affiliate links. See Disclosure/Policies for more information.**

It seems like so long ago, and it was indeed awhile ago, that I first contemplated whether to take the book out of the line-up or keep it in. That was for my dd but now it’s for my ds. Here is my original post.

I’ll just quickly say I inaccurately called AO a ‘system’; it’s a method, not a system.

It doesn’t really say much in that post about what I intended to do with the book. I’m sure in another post I shared that I did intend to keep the book in the schedule for dd. We went through the book together; I read aloud, she narrated. At the end I had her write a quick one or two sentence summary of each section.

By going through it the way I did, I omitted the sections I felt were too mature for her at the time. Unfortunately, I did not mark where those sections were. I’ll be spending the next day or so going through the book and mark those. The plan is fairly the same with ds as it was with dd but I think that he can go through this more independently than she did. For one thing, this is his third year using this method; for her it was the very beginning and it was all a challenge.

Also, when the book was scheduled for dd, it corresponded to her biological sciences. We are doing chemistry this year. I figured that once we finish this year’s science Lee will be good for her science requirements and Fox and I can focus on biology another year. All that to say, when dd went through it, I had her focus on the mentions of the human body more. I think with ds, I will have him focus more on the connections “of the human machine and the Christian body of believers.”

The original Year 7 schedule at AO begins this in Week 13 until the end of the year. We will use it from the beginning and finish earlier rather than later.

*It is available for the Kindle as well.

My Thoughts on Homeschooling in High School

It’s been a while since I’ve been part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew Blog Cruise but I am here for this one. This time is about homeschooling in high school.

I’m not going to say, “You can homeschool your high school child!” because let’s face it, not everyone can. There are a lot of reasons that it might be better to put a teen into a public, private or other type of high school. Every family is different and I’m going to leave it at, “If you feel you can do it, go for it!”

With that said –I will homeschool my kids through high school. I will do it because I can (I’m capable and it is an option available to us). So what do I think of homeschooling through high school. I have a few thoughts, that are specific to our family and situation, that I will share here.

It will be a challenge.

• I was terrified when I first started homeschooling my kids and thought about continuing on through high school. They were in 5th and 7th grade when we started. Elementary and middle school; not as intimidating as “high school”. Now that I have a 10th grader and an 8th grader, “high school” isn’t so intimidating any longer. I’ve already survived one year of high school! It is still a challenge. The challenge comes with choosing resources that stretch my high schooler beyond the lower years and into more mature thinking. It is also a challenge because the expectations are higher with the years ‘running out’ before they are out on their own. I will be straight-out honest: I couldn’t care less if neither of my kids go to college. What I do care about is that they can take care of themselves, have respect for others, and keep their focus on where it needs to be (for our family keeping our eye on God is the best place, all the other things fall in line with this –and no, unfortunately, we aren’t perfect and we fail at this daily).

It won’t always turn out like I want.

• I love to schedule, schedule, schedule. It looks so nice to have this and that down on paper. It’s so neat to be able to say “This year my high schooler will be studying __________.” But it just doesn’t always go as planned. Also, I might know that a certain subject or set of standards needs to be put in the schedule somewhere but it might not actually get in there or it could get down on the paper but go no further. There are so many homeschoolers who have many years experience behind them reassure other homeschoolers that it’s okay if a book doesn’t get completed or a subject didn’t get studied as far as planned. I’ve even read a public school teacher say the same thing. And really, life happens, especially when school is done at home. Unexpected trips come up, family members visits, and a myriad of other factors can make it all go awry. I’ve come to terms with this. Mostly.

My kids probably won’t always be happy.

• I laugh at this one. I hated school. My kids hated school. What we didn’t hate were the times we were actually learning something and/or when we could see our friends (the second part is probably what my kids liked the most). The rest of the time spent at school was a waste. They weren’t terribly happy when they went to public school. They won’t be happy all the time doing high school at home. Perhaps it’s just human nature. But they are much happier for more of the time than when they were in public school. I’ll take that along with the unhappiness sometimes.

I must be adaptable but consistent and firm when needed.

• The first year of high school for Lee was tough. I planned for it the first two years we homeschooled. Did I mention that I was terrified of homeschooling a high schooler then? I’m pretty sure I did. So I planned and researched like crazy. I won’t say it was all unnecessary stress because we both learned a lot. But it definitely didn’t always go as planned. We dropped books like crazy and tried to pick up others midway through the term, or even 3/4 of the way through the year. That’s one of the great things about homeschooling –the flexibility that is available. You don’t like the book that’s being used for science because there are so many typos it’s distracting, the writing is difficult to take and the inaccuracies are spinning your head around? Find a different author, publisher, or focus within the same subject. Seriously. I’ve come to the conclusion that having a basic understanding of a subject is good. If it is an important subject, such as math, then carry on the best that can be, even if it isn’t ‘enjoyable’. But if the student simply doesn’t like something, don’t ditch it completely based on that! Especially math. Something I struggle with is the complaint of “it’s boring”, “it doesn’t interest me”, or “when will I even use this!?” Sometimes they just have to buck up and do it. Period. At the same time, if either of my kids have an interest in a particular subject that we aren’t studying in depth, I’ll try to find resources for them to pursue it more. I have to pick and choose my battles when it comes to homeschooling in general but even more so in high school, I think.  

It will draw our family closer together rather than tear us apart.

• I’ve already seen this through the few years that we have been homeschooling. I just see this continuing through high school. When the kids are away at a brick and mortar school, they are subjected to a lot of peer pressure. Even if it’s mild, it’s there. Some say that it builds character and it definitely does. But what kind? It fosters in many teenagers the mindset that parents, adults in general, are just controlling and don’t really think about what the kids feel or want. Why is that? Partially because the ratio of teens to adults is not ideal. The teens feed off each other. Most often the negative outweighs the positive. There are often a lot of outside of school activities that kids go to after the 7 hour school day. Sometimes, perhaps more often than I think, parents are involved in these activities. From my understanding and observations, though, it is more often not the case. Homeschooling in high school doesn’t take all the peer pressure away –there are various avenues for that –but it will help foster the closeness our family already has.  

Opportunities will arise that otherwise would not.

• My kids both had a paper route in 2010. I saw other kids in the neighborhood also had a paper route who were public schooled. My kids were able to get it done early in the morning, when it was still somewhat cool (in the hotter months), rather than wait until after getting home from school to do it. Also my daughter has a babysitting job right now that is in the middle of a weekday. You could read that and think that it’s just distracting but honestly if she couldn’t do it then because she went to public school, she wouldn’t have the job. I’m not saying that because they are homeschooled more opportunities will be presented to them but if one should come up, they will have the option of pursuing it. Another example I have is cooking. My ds really likes to cook and does it fairly well, with ease. Lee wants to cook but it comes a little less easy for her. We have the opportunity to take the time, in the morning, the afternoon, dinner time, whenever, to work on honing both of their skills. If they were in school, well, I just don’t know when we would do those things. Dinner and weekends would possibly be the rushed extent.

I am going to learn right alongside my high school student(s).

• This might be one of my favorite thoughts about homeschooling high school. I truly enjoyed the learning part of school. I just would have liked to have been able to do it not at school. I also know that there is a lot that I missed in high school because of other distractions that I didn’t ignore. By doing high school at home, even if I weren’t planning it and scheduling it for them, I think I would be learning alongside the kids. Since I am doing the planning and scheduling, and pre-reading, I am learning right along with them. There are quite a few things that I know for a fact I was not taught while in public high school. Just one example: I recall in my biology class learning, very quickly I might add, about evolution. We didn’t discuss it in any great detail. My teacher said something like this, “I’m required by the state to tell you that evolution is the widely accepted theory of how life began on Earth. Okay, covered that. Moving on.” As for creation, nope; wasn’t even mentioned. Not even as a theory. In a way, I was jipped! For our high school, if we come across something, just because it’s controversial, doesn’t mean we are going to ignore it. And there is plenty out there that is controversial. We can choose to study it further or not.

I’m going to be so glad I did.

• I’ve thought about not homeschooling in high school and …it just leaves me empty. I really like my kids and who they are becoming. To spend time with them and learn with them is precious to me. When the time comes that our homeschooling journey is done, I think that I will be able to look back on it and have not one regret. At least that’s what I hope.

My kids will appreciate family after they are on their own.

• I am fairly close to my mom and (even though?) I was public schooled. I am getting closer to my sisters but we weren’t really close when I was younger. Looking at other homeschooling families, one being my husband’s family, all four kids homeschooled start to finish, I see how close they are as a family after the kids leave home. Having that closeness, which I believe is helped by homeschooling, throughout the high school years will be so important because life can get tough during this time. I could think that it’s because I’m such a great mom that my daughter has said that she wants to have kids and have the same kind of relationship that we have, but I’m not quite that conceited. It would be a lot different if we didn’t homeschool. Being a homeschooling family throughout the high school years will show the kids that we, as their parents, are there for them in so many ways. I like to think that we will remain close after they graduate and move out on their own. And I’d like to think they would homeschool their own children, if they have any.

And those are some of my thoughts on homeschooling in high school.

Word Filled Wednesday (10/19/11)

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22 KJV

While reading today, I came across that verse and had to stop to think about it more.

These are my thoughts. The blessing of the Lord does indeed make rich, but often people will say that there is suffering and persecution that comes along with being a Christian following God’s path. That is true. But it doesn’t mean that the blessings given by God are what has caused the sorrow. That plain and simply is the devil. He tries to tear us down because the blessings of God strengthen us. He wants to tear us down and make us feel that God is punishing us- or even not blessing us. He wants us to turn away from God.

God gives graciously and with love. And yes, there are tests and trials along the way. But the blessings of God, when we receive them, include no sorrow. It is people and other sources that try to rob us of the joy of those blessings, possibly resulting in sorrow.

The Lord has blessed me abundantly and I have no sorrow.

See my post from one year ago!

What I Learned at Church Sunday, September 18, 2011

Perhaps I should title this, “What I Realized…” because these were not things I had ‘learned’ all of a sudden on Sunday.

We visited a new church Sunday morning. Sunday School started at 9:45 am and then the main service followed at 11 am. In Sunday school (for the adults) they were reading from (and studying) 1 Peter 2:5. Apparently, they went through previous verses on previous Sundays. I will not say that I was enlightened during this portion (not because of any particular reason) but did come to realize again that I do not believe in the Trinity. Interesting that a verse that makes no mention of the Trinity led the ‘teacher’ to bring it up more than once.

There. I’ve said it. I am a Christian that does not believe in the Trinity. I believe that the concept of a triune god is polytheistic and rooted in pagan practices that do not belong in Christianity. The Trinity is a concept presented by the Church to explain what it doesn’t understand- in a way that isn’t understandable, it is merely ‘accepted’.

The rest of the Sunday School was just fine –many good points and comments were contributed during the session.

During the main service the pastor talked about the importance of bringing up our children in a biblical way. Not the way the world believes we should but how God says we should. What I ‘learned’ from this portion is that I need to be more conscientious of what my children watch and hear. What they see us doing, they will do as well. The pastor made an excellent point of what we as parents do in moderation, our children will take farther. If we believe that something is okay in ‘moderation’ our kids will take it farther and do more than what we think is appropriate. The example he gave was rated G movies. If we watch only G movies, our children (he postulates) will watch PG13 movies. If we watch PG13, they will watch R.

Although I do not agree that we should not watch movies at all, I completely agree that what we do, the kids will take farther. It is a test of limits and boundaries.

I also ‘realized’ (again) how important routine, schedules, discipline and consistency are to our children. With our move, the tv at the hotels have been a luxury that seem to have turned into a ‘need’. By that I mean that with limited activities and resources at our disposal, my kids are ‘bored’ so easily and tv is a readily available fix for boredom.

Personally, I think tv in general is worse than watching movies. The shows on the local channels (not even thinking of HBO, Showtime, etc.) are steeped in filth! The filth is presented in a fun, entertaining way. We laugh at the crude jokes. We fill our eyes with sights we shouldn’t be seeing (the commercials are what I am referring to, with scantily clad individuals interacting in ways that are private) and hearing what we’ve no business hearing. Even the ‘kids shows’ are laced with this. It seems harmless because it is on the ‘kids’ channel. But it really isn’t.

Saying “No” to our children will not hurt them. Saying “Yes” when we need to say “No” will hurt them.

Those are the two things I realized (again) while at church on Sunday

*Note: If you disagree with my reasoning that is just fine and I welcome your comments. Please know, however, that if you post a comment that is rude, it will not be approved.

Stuck… but Hopefully Not for Long.

My thoughts are quite disorganized today. I’ve been going back and forth between different thoughts all day.

I definitely need to concentrate! (which, wouldn’t you know, is the topic of one of the suggested readings from the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival)

It is Saturday but it doesn’t really feel like it. (Not that Saturdays usually feel so different than other days) This morning was wonderful. The air was nice and cold. Yes, cold. I couldn’t see my breath but there was a moisture in the air that prevented it from being crisp which to me made it feel cold.

Autumn is coming….and thank goodness!

I talked to my hubby (who is in Ohio) and he said it is still hot and muggy there. Well, it will cool off soon enough. I hope I will be content with the cold this year It seemed last winter was so wet and bone chilling that I could barely stand it.

After hopping around the world wide web and seeing this blog post on lily pad with pastels, I’ve wanted to do some art. But not just any art- pastels. Which I’ve never used in my life (well, that I can recall- I’m guessing in elementary school they probably had us use it…maybe?). Tonight the sky and the lighting was beautiful at dusk. The grass on the lawns were a shade of green that you only see at dawn or dusk. The sky was orange, pink and blue- perfectly blended- with a sliver of moon, stark white, against the blue.

Of course that post above and the urge to be artistic makes me think of this post about ‘degrees of separation’ (or I think, ‘scent of life’). Being outdoors is important. The beauty of nature leads to so much more in ones life! (from linked site: “research in Australia has linked a spike in nearsightedness to young people spending less time outdoors, where their eyes must focus at longer distances.” Interesting.) But honestly, it is something mostly I’ve read about. Being outdoors so much and enjoying it so much. I love to be outside but we hardly do it. I could use the excuse that I live in the “city” and there are limited opportunities to enjoy nature. But that is just an excuse.

We can see from other CMers experiences of life in the city. Take a look at one of the last photos on that post…beautiful. Of course, that post makes me think that I am not including another important aspect in our homeschool- art. We do draw and we do enjoy looking at others artwork but we treat is as an expendable.

Sigh, our family is technology driven, nature ignorant. We can download, upload, html, bbcode, etc. But we cannot identify birds that frequent our backyard or what thrives in the river that is about a mile from our house. We are rarely in our backyard which has a plum tree and an apple tree. We used to have a small garden but the grasshoppers (which we avoid) ate pretty much everything last year and we didn’t try again (we also knew that we were going to move).

The kids do play outside. I don’t want to give the impression that we sit (rather that they) inside on a couch or chair in front of a computer, tv or some other electronic device and do no physical activities outside. They do. But generally it is play that revolves around what they see on tv or their games. Sometimes it is in reference to the books they read.

I have a long way to go until I can say that we really implement CM methods in our home. But it is what I want to be able to say. We have gotten other parts of it into our days…but I think we are missing a huge important part by not making opportunities to enjoy nature and art.

I know that when we move we will be outdoors much more than we have been previously and I am looking forward to it. I am also impatient.

Not long ago I discovered that we have a pack of pastels. That is what started me thinking about all of this in the first place. All of the blog posts in the blogosphere that aligned with my thoughts were simply coincidental. Or were they …?

Keeping Things- What Should I Keep?

So last time my mind was on why I keep things. Those things that outwardly have no real purpose. Inwardly they may hold the key to something great- but often it isn't seen simply by looking at the item.

Jesus tells us: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:20-21

It seems simple enough what I shouldn't keep in my heart- physical, material items. These are easily destroyed. They can be stolen or corrupted.

But what of those items that you like and would like to preserve for future generations? As mentioned, items such as tshirts that have been lovingly been picked up at various locations for much-loved grandchildren; drawings from when a dd was 3 (her first smiley face); the best car drawing that ds 'ever' drew (when he was 8); or even those cds that contain educational programs that are just a bit too old for the kids (or too young..). Are those wrong to keep? Again, when I ask this question (or really any of these) it is a rhetorical one- you might have a different answer than I.

If you do not feel that they are wrong to keep (as I do not- unless they become obsessions and all consuming- where our heart is) then perhaps you've also wondered what to keep of all these things. I do this on a very regular basis. I go through my boxes and shelves periodically and purge items that I've decided their time has come (haha to 'go'). I often look around my little area -whether it is at my computer or the kitchen counter- and think to myself, "Is all this necessary?" Honestly, the answer is almost always, "No".

I came across a great post at Barefoot Voyage on how to keep the paper clutter reigned in. I highly recommend the post; it is full of wonderful tips and reasons why she keeps her things the way she does. It spawned this post, honestly.

Although I do not have grand tips and suggestions as to how or where to keep items, I do think there are some things that I personally want to keep- and here's how I plan to keep them. 

• Drawings- we are a family of artists. If you were to talk to ds he would say he cannot draw (phooey- totally untrue!) and yet I have papers and books full of his 'art work'. A year or so ago I'd purchased an expanding file folder for the purpose of keeping papers like these. Perhaps when the folder is full I will digitize the art work and then recycle the papers. It has also been suggested that the art work and drawings be used in scrapbooks for keepsakes.
• Books- we cannot get enough of books. But I've slowly been letting go of some of our unused or used up books. Ones that we no longer read or we didn't really care for in the first place. Paperbackswap and our public library are richer because of these :) The books we do keep are kept in all kinds of places. Fortunately, most of those places are bookshelves :)
• Clothing- some baby clothes that I've kept and don't wish to alter are kept in a safe box with other baby mementos to be passed on when the days come that my children are out on their own. My ds doesn't care about his clothes (is that simply a boy trait??) but I've kept every tshirt that his Grammy has ever given him (they are special and often refer to a specific place) and some day I will make a quilt or something similar out of these. My dd is more sentimental for clothes (a girl trait??) and has a few dresses that she doesn't want to part with because of memories. I have thought about using them in a similar way to create a keepsake for her. Fortunately they are both very good about getting rid of clothing that is too small or ready for the trash (I used to recycle/repair/stitch/sew/patch their older clothes to make them last longer but...too. much. work)
• Dishes- does that seem silly? We do not entertain other people very often at our home. We are a family of 4- really all we require are 4 plates, bowls, forks, spoons, glasses...or something like that. However, there was a time when I was younger that my mother had some Cornflower Blue Corningware that (although I honestly do not recall ever seeing them) have embedded themselves in my mind. I now have a collection of these dishes. They are all in one cupboard on one and 1/2 shelves. Someday I will give them to my kids (or grandkids). The rest of the dishes come and go- we even use jars for glasses :)

Those are the things that I want to keep. As I look around me there are a lot of things I see that do not fit into the categories above, and that is okay. Those things come and go. I think that it is coming time to purge more of the unnecessary things out of our house (such as old DVD players, stacks of books for younger readers, and the strangely large pile of 'junk' mail...

I'm looking forward to some Spring cleaning.

Revisiting "Bethel"

What a wonderful Sunday! It is beautiful outside (albeit windy). I have quite a bit to get done on my weekend still but wanted to share the message from church this morning. It was a very good one- one that I needed to hear.

Our reading came from Genesis 35:1-15

At first I couldn't figure out where Pastor was going to go with this reading. I would type it out for all to read but I hope you have a Bible or you can use biblegateway.com to read it online. 

Bethel means House of God. Or it can be thought of as where we first met God. Pastor asked us to recall that place we were when we first 'met' God; when we realized we needed Him. It could be a physical place (many recall kneeling at an altar, or beside their beds, asking Jesus to be their Savior) or just the memory of the time. In verse 6 of the chapter we read that Jacob was in Luz, which is Bethel. This place he named many years earlier, in chapter 28 of Genesis. This place, Bethel, is where Jacob had first met God. In his talk, Pastor refers to Bethel as the place were we first met God.

It is good to go back to "Bethel" because when we do that we are refreshed, reminded, reassured and reconnected. (Yes, he likes to use alliteration to get his message across- I like it myself)

When we go back to "Bethel" we are refreshed. In Genesis 35:2 we see Jacob telling his family to get cleaned up and to put away their strange gods. A nice note here is that back in this time, bathing was not a frequent occurrence. But when Jacob was instructed by God to go back to Bethel he felt the need to clean up; to be fresh. Jacob's actions were in anticipation of going to back to Bethel but I think that when we think on that day and/or place, it helps us to purge out the unclean. It refreshes.

At our Bethel we also are reminded of the distress we were in when we came to God. In chapter 28 of Genesis, Jacob was on the run from his brother Esau, who wished to kill him. Jacob was distressed; he slept with his head on a rock. You have to be pretty low to sleep on a rock... (of course the Egyptians used them all the time... I wouldn't wish to!). God came to Jacob in this time of distress and Jacob made promises to God. This was a point that Pastor made sure to reiterate. The vows we made when we first met with God are just as relevant now as they were then. We should have them in the front of our minds. They should not be forgotten. When we go back to Bethel, we are reminded of our distress- why we needed God- and also of the vows we made. We are also reminded of the wonderful salvation that was given us by God.

If we think back to the distress we are also reassured that God can handle anything. There is nothing too large for God to handle. We cannot do it on our own. In Genesis 35:11 we read "And God said unto him, I am God Almighty..." Jacob was reassured. We are reassured that God will be there for us.

Finally, we are reconnected with God when we go back to Bethel. When we first were at that place the fire and passion we felt for God was intense. The closeness we wanted was wonderful. As time goes on though, we may separate ourselves from God. He never turns from us but often we do from Him. We are reconnected with God and His plan for our lives when we revisit Bethel. In Genesis, Jacob had gone back to Bethel and he was refreshed, reminded, and reassured. The reconnection though was something that was so important for Jacob because in verses 16-20 we read of Rachel's death. Jacob had to endure something horrible but because of God, he was able to come through it. 

That was the lesson in church today.

This was a great lesson today. And timely. Just last night I kept thinking on the word complacency. I think that in the United States we are complacent. There is a danger but we have such comfortable lives that we fail to see it for what it really is. We are like the Laodicean church in Revelation. We are in need of nothing and therefore do not call on God any longer. We in America are lukewarm. 

It is a tough thought- being complacent, lukewarm. It means that more is required of us. It means stepping out of our comfort zones. Doing more for Jesus. Doing more to declare the God of heaven. It isn't something to take lightly but I'm sure that it will definitely cause turmoil. Jesus said he did not come into the world to bring peace but instead to bring division.

Personally, it is very tough. It makes me want to do so much more but at the same time, I must say, it makes me somewhat sad to think of all the comfortable things I've become used to that I need to give up. Tough indeed. 

Jesus' Transfiguration- Our Perspective

Matthew 17:1-13
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 and he was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his rainment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with hm. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While yet he spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. 7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. 8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. 9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. 10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. 13 The disciples understood that he spake unto them John the Baptist. 

The theme of today's talk at church was Jesus' tranfiguration- but not exactly this one. We did read this and I think it is easy to imagine the wonderment, amazement and awe that the few disciples that were with Jesus felt when this took place. The transfiguration that was being talked about this morning was the one that we see. If we merely see Jesus in one aspect (as a friend, a savior, a healer, etc.) we are missing the big picture; missing the depth of Jesus' importance. Pastor gave four points to ponder in regards Jesus' transfiguration, as it applies to our perception of him. Knowledge, Respect, Desire, and Commitment. I will try to convey the main points but if I fail to do so accurately, or adequately, I apologize now. :)

• Knowledge- We need to know more about Jesus to be able to see him in all the ways we are meant to. The best way to do this is through reading the Gospels; the entire Bible actually.
• Respect- we saw in Matthew 16:22 that Peter lacked respect when he spoke to Jesus in a way that would suggest that he, Peter, knew more than Jesus could. We must show respect to Jesus to be able to truly see him as he wants us to see him.
• Desire- We need to have a desire to see our 'deficiency'. That means that we understand that we are not moving forward towards a more accurate perception of Jesus; we need a desire to move beyond that. More than that though, we understand that we are in need of Jesus as our savior.
• Commitment- Peter said in verse 4, "Lord, it is good for us to be here." We need to be able to see that regardless of where we want our life to go, God is the one that has a plan for us. Commitment means that we accept where his plan takes us, and put aside our own selfish desires. We come to see Jesus in a different perspective.

We need to have a perspective of 1. our deficiency, 2. his deity, 3. his depth, 4. his duty. Fortunately, the pastor's wife texted me the last bit about perspective, or I wouldn't have recalled it right now.


If we feel that where we are in life is 'just fine', it may well be but it can be so much better. If we enhance our perspective. If we change our perspective. Of course, if we choose not to continue to grow, nothing changes. Our relationship can be so richer, if we choose. 


I found today's 'lesson' to be inspiring. We are always changing- sometimes when we would rather not. I want a change that is for the better.

Sundays- Not Online? Who am I kidding!? Reflections

I decided to take off the little icon that used to be on the right side of my blog that says Offline Day because I really cannot say that there is a day of the week that I am not online. I have tried very hard to stay off on Sundays under the pretense that we try to focus more on Godly things. But I cannot say that we do any more 'focusing' when I am not online than when I do get online. We try to focus on God every day in some way. It seems that Sunday is the day I wrap up all my 'online' activities: usually homeschool scheduling, searching for last minute resources, catching up on Yahoo! Groups.

Today, in Sunday School a question was asked about praying for God to 'move mountains.' The question was pertaining to Matthew 21:22- "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Pastor definitely agreed that, if we are believing when we pray, and it is God's Will, then our prayer will be 'answered'. Of course, sometimes the answer is not what we want to hear and we continue to ask because we have not been granted a 'yes' to our prayer. During the session I was reminded of a scripture but could not for the life of me find it. During service, however, it came to me. James 4:3- "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." At first, I guess that Pastor (and others) may have thought that the person asking this question wanted something big, such as a new vehicle, or something like that. I suppose if we had thought of who was doing the asking we perhaps wouldn't have assumed that. He was asking specifically because the church is attempting to 'wait on the Lord' to have the means to complete the building of the church add on. Some would say that it is wrong to pray for something that appears to be a 'material' want because we already have a church that is acceptable- perfectly fine to meet the needs of our congregation. Pastor reminded us that whatever we ask for should bring glory to God. If it does not, then do we really need to pray for such things? Whose interests are we asking to be satisfied? A very good point that Pastor also brought out in relation to prayer: healing. When there are people who are suffering or dying, we often ask for healing. God can and does work wonders in the lives of believers (and non-believers in my opinion- whether they believe it or not) because it will bring glory to Him. There are times when He does not 'heal' because it brings more glory to God when they are given grace to endure. An example is Paul; his affliction of poor eyesight he 'thrice' prayed fervently that God would heal. God did not heal Paul's affliction so that we could understand (as well as Paul) that God's grace is sufficient. 2 Corinthians 12:9- "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

I thought that our Sunday School was very very good and well timed. I love the songs we sang today. The one I appreciated the most was My Savior's Love. It reminded me that Jesus died for me because He loves me. He didn't just love the people who were alive at the time He was crucified, but He loves me now, today. He loves every person, every one of us. There isn't one that He doesn't want to be saved, to believe in Him and be saved. Whether or not we believe that Hell is a 'lake of fire and brimstone' but it is absolute absence from God. Absence from His light and love. The lake of fire and brimstone is bad enough to think of but the absence of God's love just scares me so much more than an actual pain.

I am reminded today that "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things."- Philippians 4:8 That is what I want my every day to be focused on. Posting on Sundays, if I feel the urge, I think will help me to focus on those things.