Our Homeschool Closet

There has been a project that I needed to do all summer, but I had put it off.... Until yesterday. At the end of the school year our homeschool closet had gotten way out of control, and over the summer it had spiraled to the state of desperate. I am being extremely vulnerable to show you this....(holding my breath)....here we go:

Now, we have never had a homeschool room, and I have found that storing all our supplies in a closet works well for us. Each day we pull out our supplies and curriculum as school begins at the kitchen table, living room floor, table outside, or even in Mom and Dad's bed. So, it is important that the closet be well organized. It took me close to 3 hours, but here is the final result:

It hit me that there are areas in my spiritual life that need cleaning out too.  Areas where I have seen clutter slowly overtaking an area in my life, but I haven't reached that point of doing a thorough cleaning.  These areas will take more time, but the process will be healing and helpful for my spiritual growth.  Some areas- just like this closet- may become ongoing projects that I have to keep a keen focus on to master.  The final result will be worth the effort though and that is the perspective I must adopt.  Maybe this has encouraged you to tackle some of those rough areas in your own world! Blessings!

What is your learning style?

About this time of year as the summer heats up and school lessons are finished; we begin the process of researching homeschool curriculum for the following year.  There are always many considerations for us- expense, academic level, preparation, and learning styles are but a few of the things that factor our decision.  Only in the past few years have the different learning styles of our boys become a more influential pull as we weigh different curriculum options.  This is due, in part, to having to figure out the best way each of them learns the various subjects best.   Caleb and Carson each have their areas in which they are "bent" and more passionate about studying as well as areas that just come easier to them.  Some children need to see a visual picture for a lesson while others need an auditory connection to a lesson in order to fully comprehend it, but most of us learn best through experiencing lesson for ourselves.  As a homeschool family, we do our best to create learning experiences for our kids as often as possible.

Today, as I thought about this, I realized that the same is true for my relationship with the Father.  We all have certain areas that come easier for us and, sadly, areas that often we keep having to learn by experience.  Sometimes we can hear about the experience of another believer and it is enough to help us grow and mature in our faith.  At other times, we may personally witness or see someone walking a spiritual journey that challenges us in our own personal walk with God.  There are also times, however, that we learn through our own experiences-whether good or bad- trials and triumphs that forever become spiritual markers in our lives. 

The wonderful part of all this is that we have a perfect teacher who knows everything about us and designs those experiences to match our most intricate and intimate needs.  His lessons are always meant for our benefit and are never for our harm.  His desire is to see us mature in our faith in order to prepare us for the plans He has for us.  No lesson is ever wasted, unnecessary or unneeded.  He is reminding me that I need to be a compliant student who seeks after Him and looks for the lessons in the circumstances.

"Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."  Colossians 2:7 NLT

I want to be an outstanding student because these are the "tests" that matter.  I long for the approval of my teacher and Father.  Teach me, Father, and help my blind eyes see the lessons in the circumstances.

Proud Momma

I have to take a moment to share a proud Momma moment. This year Carson, our second son, wasn't turning 5 until November 2; so, we couldn't start public Kindergarten until next year. As many of you know, we homeschool our oldest son and I thought that this year might be a good trial year with Carson. First, to see if I could even homeschool two as well as keep up with Kendall. Second, to see if we could survive it without major meltdowns... from him as well as me!

Surprisingly, this year has gone so well. He has really picked up on everything so quickly and I have been blown away. He was SO ready to start school and our waiting another year to do anything wouldn't have been good for him.

On Wednesday, Carson, brought me a book that he had been working on for a couple of days.... now, this book was not a beginning reader book- it was an actual Thomas the Train book. He read it from cover to cover with no help from me. I teared up a little as he read with such confidence and inflection. It was a precious moment and it was so special because we, as a family, were his teachers that helped him achieve this goal.

I do not believe that homeschooling is for everyone and we have determined to pray each year about what God would have us to do with each of our children. In those precious moments, however, I am so thankful that I got to be one of the first to experience that with him as a whole new world has opened to him.... the world of books and reading. It is also in those precious moments that I know- without a doubt- that I am exactly where God wants me to be.... I don't earn a large paycheck and some weeks are harder than others, but this is the journey and calling that God has for us as a family... at this place and time.

Oh, and I LOVE it.....