My "Word" for 2015

Kudos to you if you can keep your New Year's resolutions!  I can't!  The last thing I need is another list of something that I need to do, another reminder of where I'm not measuring up, and another list of goals that will be swallowed up by good intentions and the busyness of life.  Instead, I need something that is quick and easy to remember that I can pull out in a second's notice in order to determine if something brings me closer or pushes me further from God and from the person I want to become.  I need something that creates hope, inspires me, and pushes me to action.  And I need something that doesn't have predefined expectations centered around my limited faith so that God can bring about what He wants to see happen in 2015.  That is why I totally embrace the "word of the year".  This word encompasses what God is doing in my life and what I hope He continues doing, and it lends direction to where I want to go and who I want to be in 2015.

So my word for 2015 is:

RESTORE

Definition:
: to give back (someone or something that was lost or taken)
: to return (someone or something)
: to put or bring (something) back into existence or use
: to return (something) to an earlier or original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.

Psalm 51:12-13

"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.  Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You." (NKJV)

Psalm 51:16-17

"Going through the motions doesn't please You, a flawless performance is nothing to You.  I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered.  Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice."  (Message)

I love the synonyms for "restore" because God took us through the longest wilderness and we are finally on the other side of it.  I wish I could say we journeyed well through the wilderness, but the longer we stayed, the more I let it take from me and I lost myself in the journey.  However, on this side of the wilderness, there have been new seasons, new paths, new directions, and new opportunities that have taken me back to my roots--the things I enjoyed before I lost myself in the busyness and doing of ministry and the aimlessness of wandering in the wilderness.  How refreshing it's been to remember those things that I lost, to be able to make music again, to be able to go to church simply to worship God, and to find solace in things that were once fun and familiar.

Yet the more I remembered my roots and rediscovered former joys, the more I found 2014 going in a different direction than I had planned.  I freaked out because life wasn't going the way it was supposed to go.  I was straying too far from my expectations, others' expectations, and everything familiar.  It was taking me too far away from ministry as I knew it to be and it was leaving me with nothing recognizable. 

To compensate for that, I found myself in the all-to-familiar pursuit of perfection because I felt like my performance was the only thing I could control (until even that became out of my control).  Perfection at work, home, music, anything I committed to...it was exhausting and daunting.  Can't tell you how many times I quietly cried myself to sleep because I felt so high maintenance and kept getting on my own nerves...that's when you know you have a problem!

I felt like I was running in circles for nothing except to prove to myself and to others that I still have it, that I can stay in the game, that I can still juggle lots of things and come out on top, that I can still do whatever God wants me to do even though it's not "formal" ministry and there isn't any signs of formal ministry ahead.  I kept running toward the voices and expectations that others in ministry have had for me hoping that I'd run into whatever it is that God wanted for me when He's made it so clear that He has something else in mind and I keep resisting it.

However, a few weeks ago, I was floored when we began discussing Psalm 51 in our Sunday School class and God began speaking to me quite bluntly.  He began reminding me of all that He had done on the cross and what it represented.  God would send friends by to chime in with (not-so-) random thoughts about our identity in Christ.  Some friends were nosy enough to ask what's going on and to help me see what's at the root of all of this.  Through the unearthing, God began speaking even more and weaving this new theme of restoration into my life to where there's no escaping it. 

How I need to be restored -- and I love the synonyms of "restore" because they paint a picture of what I want to see happen in my life.  These words portray rest, strength and peace, not striving, manufactured faith, and running ragged to prove my capability to others.

These synomyns depict a much-needed shift that needs to happen in my mind, thoughts and actions. And they are such a great checklist for whether or not to add something into my already crammed schedule!

Psalm 51:12-13 is a process emptying myself of all that hinders me from real joy and destroying that root of pride.  And it also reminds me that God has a desired order...we cannot reach/teach others until we first are filled with Him.  Before I can make disciples, I have to be a disciple.  Before I can lead others, I must be led first. I'm giving to others what I'm being filled with...and that's a scary thought.  Am I giving the true gospel that changes lives or the man-made version that merely comforts lives?  (Yes, this is already stuff I "know" but have forgotten along the way!) 

Psalm 51:16-17 shoots down my tendencies toward perfection and performance.  All of that pales in comparison of being real before God, of knowing we are so broken and in need of Him.  But it means going beyond that place of acknowledging our need and purposefully living into what God wants us to be in Him.

Restore:  It's reconstructing what I've torn down over the years.  It's reinstating who I am in Christ and claiming it above circumstances and opinions. It's reintroducing the fundamentals of who God is and seeing His beauty and resting in His sovereignty.  It's finding those things that rejuvenate and revitalize my life...rediscovering my passions and letting go of the activities and hobbies that I simply don't enjoy in this season of life.  It's renewing my mind and replacing the defeatist thoughts and life's distractions with God's truth.  It's giving the reins back to God again so He can renew and revive my life in His ways instead of according to my agenda.  It's going back to all the things that I've learned over the years except for this time, it's purposefully letting it be more God than me.  It's purposefully living out John 3:30--"He must increase, but I must decrease."   

Restore ... it's perfect for 2015!  Sometimes, it takes way more work to restore something than it does to trash it and start from the beginning, so I love the promises God has given me in Ephesians 6:10-18, Job 23:10, Philippians 1:6, and Jeremiah 1:4-9.  Now it's time to hang on for the ride ...

RevQuest -- Where History Comes Alive

Mystery, secrecy (well, as much as you can have with amateur spies), intrigue and tons of fun describe our first experience with RevQuest:  The Old Enemy at Colonial Williamsburg.  RevQuest was exactly what our family needed to rediscover the charm and excitement of Colonial Williamsburg (CW)!

CW has been a part of my life since childhood as we've celebrated birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and school years there.  We are very familiar with the same sights and sounds that CW has to offer.  Some sounds, like the fife and drum corps, I can never get enough of, yet some of the houses and buildings have lost their luster over the years and we can recite some of the same spheels when we walk in the apothecary or tour the Palace.  However, RevQuest brought back that element of surprise and discovery that left us wanting more of CW!

Over the past year or so, we've seen RevQuest spy missions advertised.  We've found random clues and saw bandana-wearing families along Duke of Gloucester Street which further piqued our interest.  As we were deciding where to go on vacation this fall, we looked at CW once again because our child seemed to have the mental and physical stamina to attempt (and enjoy) this spy mission.  While we were doing RevQuest mainly for him, we were delighted to watch how RevQuest drew in our entire family as the mission progressed. 

We tried the optional online mission of RevQuest first to see if it was even worth doing in person.  Of course, I made the deciphering much harder than what it should've been but my husband and in-laws figured it out and completed the online mission quite easily.  We texted in our final answer and received a text back from CW stating that we can pick up a reward at one of the shops which further enticed us to try out the game in person.

 We picked up our RevQuest bandanas and secret mission orders at the Visitor's Center.  We already had the the RevQuest text # in our phone from the online mission...you use the same number throughout the whole mission to gather clues.  CW's reply texts are instant so you know on the spot whether your deciphering is right or wrong!

Note:  If you are a homeschooler (any state), go to Group Sales where you can receive discounted admission for everyone in your party.  Then go to the Visitor's Center and get 1/2-off yours and your spouse's admission by showing your teacher ID or NOI for the educator discount.  As an educator, you receive 15% off of all book purchases throughout CW as well!  Make sure to leave your email address with Group Services for info and deals.  Apparently they offered an annual CW homeschool membership for $20/person via email...can't beat that!

While at the Visitor's Center, there is a seven-minute intro video outlining the basics of the RevQuest mission, how to get help, and what you need to know, etc.  After that, you open your Top Secret orders where you find everything needed to complete the spy mission (including clues, maps, ciphers, a pencil, and more).  The first stop is with a Williamsburg Agent where you need an alias to use with that agent as well as members of the Committee of the Secret

Correspondence.  This alias comes in the form of clues and a text which we completed during the walk from the Visitor's Center to the Palace area.  These agents are the only ones that can help you with this quest as long as you mention the alias.  The agents are carefully marked so you know who you (and they) can trust with this mission.

One of the coolest parts of RevQuest is that you get a behind-the-scenes look at CW.  Though we started out in public areas, the agents always led us to secret, semi-secluded locations on various properties.  We could open up gates and go down paths that the regular public didn't go down.  We examined trade signs and saw them in a way we never saw them before as they were transformed into directions and clues.  There were moments when we felt like true spies as we "talked" in code with CW actors as we had to ask for documents along the way.  We were constantly on the look out for secret messages and others in the Committee of the Secret Correspondence and we also enjoyed causal game banter with other RevQuesting families along the way. 

The Agents did a superb job acting out their part and involving every child and adult on this secret mission.  They had this air of mystery yet belief and reassurance that with a little work, we actually could complete this mission and in a timely manner.  The Agents had a way of making RevQuest feel like a special experience, not just another visit to CW.

RevQuest truly was a fresh way of looking at CW for all of us--it appealed to my elementary-aged child all the way up to his grandparents.  Sometimes, my son was able to crack the code all by himself and other times, it took all of us working together in order to move to the next phase of the mission.

CW suggests that the play time is about two hours.  It would be two hours if you did each part of the mission back to back.  However, we stopped for lunch, browsed in the stores and houses and worked with our son to complete his children's CW map so he could earn his fourth CW pin.

Note:  Don't forget to pick up a children's CW map at the Visitor's Center or ask any of the CW cast members at the open houses/trades for a children's map.  You don't need to be a part of RevQuest in order to do the children's map.  We loved the way that CW redid this season's children's map because it made it much easier for the younger, shy crowd to complete it.  It gave it more of an "I Spy" feel and actually complemented RevQuest in a way.  

If you are interested in RevQuest, make sure to check out the Colonial Williamsburg/RevQuest website for the mission times because there aren't as many dates and times to meet up with the Agent, French Envoy and Courier in the off-season.  RevQuest runs through November 30th, so it's not too late to schedule a RevQuest field trip.   

Even though my child is on the younger side (second grade) and didn't fully grasp RevQuest and the concept of a secret mission on the outset, it didn't take him long at all to catch on and to get into the game.  He was all too proud of himself when he was able to decipher the messages and he used lunch time to cipher his own name!  It was amazing to see how quickly his interest turned toward ciphering, and the teacher discount came in handy as we walked out with a couple books on secret codes!  My in-laws enjoyed the challenge and family fun as well as mentioned how this reminds them of their favorite TV mini-series, Turn, and they can't wait to bring more family with them next time.  My husband and I enjoyed the novelty of the spy mission and being able to see CW in a new light.  RevQuest breathed new life, info, and perspective into our homeschool and reminded me that teaching history is fun when it's presented well.  We couldn't have asked for a better first RevQuest experience and we look forward to tackling more RevQuest missions in the future! 

Note:  No goods or services were exchanged for this review.  We simply enjoyed the experience and believe it complements the homeschool experience. 

Secret Code

Secret Paths

Secret Clues

Completing the Children's Map (available anytime during the year)

Receiving his prize after completing the map.  The ultimate prize was when this lady told us where we can get free milkshakes in our souvenir cup!  It was even more of a bonus when we discovered they were peanut-allergy friendly!

Showing off his 4th CW pin that he's earned since Kindergarten.

The Proverbs Challenge -- Day 1

Growing up, my dad told me that "A Proverb a day will keep the Devil away."  He encouraged us to read one chapter of Proverbs each day of the month since there are 31 chapters and 31 days.  I often begin the month well.  But mid-month, life gets super busy and my reading slacks off.  Guilt usually kicks in a week later so I have time to at least catch the last few chapters of Proverbs before a new month begins. 

Recently, I encountered two women who handwrite the Bible.  At first, it seemed really odd but they stressed the sheer amount of concentration and discipline that is required to write out God's Word.  They read it and then say it in their mind as they are writing it and then reread the entire chapter.  They shared how copying the Bible awakened them and transformed their relationship with God with each book they copied. The more I learned about it, the more I wanted to try it...but next month.  Then next month became the month after and so forth.  However, today, September 1, seemed like a good day as any to try the Proverbs challenge. 

My main goal with the Proverbs challenge is to cultivate a spirit of priority and discipline.  It's easy to read through a few chapters of the Bible every day and to pray while on the go, but it's harder to slow down long enough to internalize God's Word and to have those extended prayer times without any distractions.  I have been in a rut and want something fresh rather than study through another devotional.  I want God without all the extras and nothing gets one back to the basics like copying straight from God's Word.

Proverbs is one of those "hindsight is 20/20" type of books for me.  It is filled with wisdom that I wish I had put into practice because it would have saved a lot of tears, heartaches and mistakes.  I tend to cross-reference Proverbs with life lessons so there are notes and dates of painful life lessons in the margin next to their corresponding Proverbs so I don't forget those lessons learned (it's like a diary of sorts).  However, there are so many vital lessons in Proverbs that spare a person of trouble if heeded, so I figured this would be my chance to learn without all of the hard lessons time around.  There was no other place to begin aside from time in prayer and simply sitting down with a fresh notebook and my Bible.  

As I began copying Proverbs 1, I was waiting for this big, huge life-altering revelation to jump out at me.  Instead, I got distracted by what it must have been like to be Solomon, David, Moses, Paul or Peter.  They were close enough to God to hear Him and to pen the facets of His heart.  It almost felt too sacred to continue writing out Proverbs 1 because I know how unholy, how human I am.  At that moment, God reminded me that He chose imperfect beings to write down His Words.  These men were human in every way yet God redeemed them and had a plan to use them despite their imperfections.  He had a relationship with them and used them right where they were at.  But the key is that these men were living in such a way that they were attuned to God's voice.  Very thought-provoking.

About halfway through Proverbs 1, I thought about all the things my child and I have read together over the years in our missionary studies.  We've spent a lot of time talking about the 10/40 window and just how many unreached people groups there are that do not have a Bible in their own language.  I couldn't help but echo some of the prayers we've poured out for these people groups.  I kept thinking of the Bible translators who have a vision and calling from God to learn a new language so they can copy not only Proverbs but the rest of the Bible, word for word, in a language that has never seen the Word of God.  What a responsibility and challenge for these translators especially as they feel the urgency to spread God's Word but are confined to a slow, tedious process. 

After handwriting Proverbs 1, I read it in Matthew Henry's commentary only to be reminded of the truths and the why behind the Book of Proverbs.  I have a feeling that this handwriting journey is just a beginning--a place to rediscover the wonder of the Scripture with each word that is written down and an opportunity to reconnect with God in openness and hunger.  As it comes to mind, pray that God will speak to me through this challenge and that I may learn discipline through this process. 

Update: Our First 8 Weeks of Second Grade

We just finished our first eight weeks of second grade!  They have been crazy weeks as we balance interruptions and real-life learning and try to reclaim our school routine!  Despite doing school at random hours of the day, we have tagged along on the explorations of Eric the Red & Leif the Lucky, built our own Viking ship, prayed for various countries in the 10/40 window and watched portions of "The Jesus Film" in various languages in order to see why missionaries and Bible translators are so important (and we discovered countries who don't have the Bible or Jesus Film in their own language--this totally builds on "From Akebu to Zaptoec--A Book of Bibleless Peoples" from last year).  And, we've actually discovered that grammar is fun thanks to "Easy Grammar" which breaks it down into daily chunks! It's been amazing to watch NoNut's comprehension of grammatical concepts grow!  We get overly excited about correct comma placement and correct capitalized words. 

So far, NoNut has read Genesis through 2 Kings in "The Beginner's Bible". His reading (and confidence) has taken off since he got glasses!  We've been building on math concepts and entered the world of carrying and thousands place value.  Plus, we found cheesy but memorable skip counting songs on youtube that we often dance, sing and count with in order to help us learn how to skip count by 3s, 6s, 9s!

Handwriting is still handwriting, but we get a little formal practice in every day and I try to sneak in extra handwriting practice by having NoNut write shopping lists, directions or writing notes to friends and family.  After choosing not to do spelling last year since NoNut couldn't read the spelling words yet, we picked it up this year based on his readiness.  Waiting paid off big time!  I'm soooo glad we didn't push it last year because he is more capable and ready to learn how to spell, and it's one subject he rarely complains about.  I firmly believe in All About Spelling's method and am thankful that there is another way (and a hands-on way) to teach spelling rather than give a child a list of 10-20 words to memorize each week.  

We are moving forward in our Bible class and learning a new hymn and chorus each month.  God has timed our Bible curriculum to coincide with what we are learning in our Sunday School class so it's been fun to have the lessons reinforced with church so that I can better teach NoNut the Word and give him extra insight rather than just stick with what is in his book!  We launching into a study of Moses for the rest of the year.  Watching the production of "Moses" at Sight & Sound in Lancaster, PA was such a great intro for our school year!  We have fallen behind with our character training curriculum and decided to set it aside for awhile while we work on a study on truth and integrity (which is the foundation for good character anyway).

This year, I am thankful that we now have our science from a Biblical perspective.  Being able to relate science back to God as Creator and Originator of all adds a new layer of depth that we did not have with Sonlight Science.  That Biblical perspective is cultivating a deeper awareness of God at work behind the scenes in NoNut's eyes.  I so wish I did not compromise with a non-Christian curriculum in K and 1st, but God is redeeming that time in His way!  At times, I feel like our new science is too advanced, but NoNut can't get enough and catches on quickly to concepts.  Am learning a lot about his strengths this year and trying to find ways to build on those. 

We also discovered Ranger Rick on top of God's World News (now WORLDKids) and both of these publications further fuel NoNut's love for learning!  Between these magazines along with many great living books, this year has already been filled with some rich reading moments, laughs and adventures. Bonding with your child over a story is priceless!  We can't wait until it gets colder so we can snuggle up in our pjs with homemade hot cocoa and read the afternoon away because it's too cold to do anything else! 

I love how God continues to put the right resources and people into our path and how He is so detailed when it comes to NoNut's education!  I am continually amazed at how real life and education are intertwined and how God weaves everything together just so into one incredible learning opportunity that reinforces everything!

This year is the first year that we have a Bible verse that defines our mission and purpose of our homeschool.  It is a verse that reminds us of the "why" behind homeschool.  This verse helps me prioritize my day and to be more available for teachable moments that occur outside of our lesson plans.  It's hard to give up those plans at times, but when we know our purpose, we are better able to follow God's plan.  Our school verse is Proverbs 1:7a--"Start with God--the first step in learning is bowing down to God."  (Message).  If I can teach (and show) my child how to cultivate a relationship with God and learn to listen and submit to Him, the rest of life and learning will flow out of that relationship.  This verse has been every bit of a personal challenge to me as I learn this lesson and make it a priority in my life as well.  God's way of doing things (including education, family and serving Him) looks a lot different than mine.  While the sacrifices and ridicule that come with homeschool are sometimes great, they pale in comparison to the blessings that God pours out on our family when we seek Him and bow to Him above all else! 


Skip Counting Youtube Video Links:

Skip Counting by 3's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWxPKnLtnus

Skip Counting by 4's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSn2O4mTYD4

Skip Counting by 6's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSn2O4mTYD4

Skip Counting by 9's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOpl1FwPlh0

The Grown Up Response

This week, "Be ye angry, but sin not, and do not let the sun go down on your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26) kept coming to mind as we had covered all of our bases to ensure NoNut's safety at a Vacation Bible School only to encounter another nut situation.  There were moments this week when I wasn't sure if I was more upset over the whole nut situation or over that verse that kept plaguing my mind and would not leave me alone! 

It was reassuring to know that it is okay to be angry over situations, but it was quite limiting to "sin not".  In hopes of justifying my anger, I tried defining the line where anger becomes sin and it was startling to see how little it takes for anger to change over to sin.  And the more I saw where anger was becoming sin, the more confused I got. 

As a mom who will do anything to make sure her child is safe and is not exposed to his offending allergens, what should my response to nut situations be beyond the obvious (not placing him in situations until we know it's safe, questioning everything and not taking basic common sense for granted)?

Leave it to God to point out His preferences in His Word once again!  God already said that it's okay to be angry but to sin not (Eph. 4:26).  God also said that He puts our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8).  And, it's okay to "[Speak] the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (Eph. 4:15, NIV).  But that is where this answer takes a little turn ...

The second half of Eph. 4:15 talks about growing up in Christ, so it's only fitting that God would shout it loud and clear today as my eyes fell on Matthew 5:48 while our pastor was preaching in Matthew 6 (gotta love a parallel Bible that helps you not miss the point).  "In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up.  You're kingdom subjects.  Now live like it.  Live out your God-created identity.  Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you."  Essentially, God just told me to grow up!  Ouch!  There goes my anger, my justifications for that anger and my growing disdain for those nut offenders. 

Growing up doesn't mean forsaking common sense in the slightest.  I'm still not going to leave my child in questionable situations as much as I'm not going to leave him with people that I don't know without having more than one prior conversation with them.

So what does responding to nut situations in God's "grown up way" look like? 

~ Growing up means finding creative ways to educate people on life-threatening allergies and working together rather than allowing the faulty actions of a couple people to outshine all the others who love NoNut and are committed to his safety.

Eph 4:2-3 -- "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

~ It means treating nut offenders the way I would like to be treated if I carelessly put another food allergy child at risk.  I would expect to be reprimanded and for the parents to be leery of putting their child in my care, but I wouldn't want a Scarlet Letter to be cast instantly upon me and have that define me forever.

Matthew 7:12 -- "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them."

~ It means that some people will receive instruction and others won't.  For those that receive instruction, they can be trusted.  For those that will not receive instruction nor see the danger of their actions, the risk would be too high to leave my child in their care.  

Proverbs 9:8-9 (NKJV) -- "Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.  Give instruction to a wise man, and he will still be wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning." 

~ It means continuing to do all we can to keep NoNut safe, listening to those unexplainable gut feelings, asking a lot of questions and not assuming anything regarding his care.  Yet it also means letting go and trusting those whom God has put in NoNut's path to take care of him for a season.  God wants to work through NoNut's life and to use NoNut's allergies for His glory.

Proverbs 21:31 (Message) -- "Do your best, prepare for the worst--then trust God to bring the victory." 

~ It means knowing where God wants us and being aware of where He is and isn't. 

Luke 10:3-12 -- "Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’ But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

~ It means learning to deal with nut situations and moving on.  The "Lord, make it not matter" prayer fits in well here.  Every single time the "Lord, make it not matter" plea comes from the very center of my being, it means I have to let this go for the well-being of myself and my family.  I'm choosing not to carry this any more because I don't have the mental or emotional capacity to carry it around; however, the emotions are still raw whenever I think about it or encounter nut offenders.  Part of "Lord, make it not matter" is allowing God to refocus my thoughts on Him and what truly matters even if it means repeating, "Make it not matter," until it finally doesn't matter. 

Proverbs 24:10 (Message) -- "If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the first place." 

And finally, the essence of growing up and responding to living this crazy, up and down, ever-vigilant life of food allergies is found in Matthew 6:34 (Message):  "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up over what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."  

I don't always have to react.  I can choose to respond, instruct, prepare and protect from the overflow of my relationship with God which, by far, produces the more grown up response. 

Glasses Change Everything

Have you ever seen a letter "b" with a circle on either side of it?  Or what about a "d" that could go either way because it's so blurred?  Now imagine trying to learn to read or write whenever you can't distinguish between letters because they run together...makes it a little hard, huh?  And then imagine your teacher losing patience with you several times and not understanding why it was so hard to distinguish between a ball/bat (for b) or a doughnut (for d). Oh, how I wish I knew that is exactly what my child was seeing last year!  How I wish I knew that was at the root of his reading, writing and spelling issues.  But, I had no clue and often had more frustration than anything else because we could not get past the whole "b" and "d" dilemma.  

I did a lot of research on dyslexia and processing disorders thinking maybe NoNut was headed in that direction except he just didn't line up with the typical characteristics and symptoms.  Despite that, we experimented with techniques and methods used to help children with dyslexia.  It wasn't until May that I began seeing that NoNut struggled with any letter and number with a circle and stem yet he could read any word that didn't contain a circle and stem combo perfectly.  I was hoping summer break and time would increase his comprehension and reading readiness, but I never expected a pair of glasses to solve the problem! 

At my annual eye doctor appointment, my eye doctor recommended I bring in NoNut for an exam since astigmatisms are usually hereditary.  My first reaction to his suggestion was that it wasn't necessary because NoNut has passed all of his annual eye exams at the pediatrician and doesn't show any signs of struggling with his vision.  However, within moments of NoNut's eye exam, I saw that he was really was struggling to read anything with a curve, circle and stem.  He did fine with the larger letters which reassured me that he knows his letters, but the smaller they got, the more he could not distinguish between letters.  My eye doctor was right and unfortunately, NoNut is following in my footsteps...glasses will be a part of his childhood as much as they were a part of mine. 

Today was the first day we put NoNut's glasses to the test with our first day of school.  Everything went well until it came to reading, spelling and writing.  I caught NoNut struggling with all three subjects, but all three times he didn't have his glasses on.  Once he put his glasses on, he would make comments about how he could see the letters or how the letters didn't have extra circles to them or how everything was so clear.  His reading took off because he wasn't having to decipher what the letters were.  His handwriting was neater because he could see the handwriting chart and could form and copy his ABC's correctly.  He found the right spelling tiles on the first try since he could tell the difference between b and d. 

I did an experiment with NoNut and saw that the reason why he could tell the difference between b and d in certain situations was because of bigger, clearer or more spaced out print in a book.  Everything just clicked in that moment.  Here I was wondering if my child had a learning disability when in reality, he needed an eye exam and glasses!  It will take time to undo some of the reading habits that were formed as he struggled to decipher between the letters, but to know that we will jump over this hurdle with a little more time is exciting! 

With my son's severe allergies, I feel like I'm very aware of his body and what is normal and what is not for him.  But when you teach your child something from scratch and they aren't getting it and there is nothing to compare it to, it is easy to miss the obvious while fearing over all the other things that it could be.  And when your child is passing all of his annual eye exams at the pediatrician, not putting a book up to his nose or showing any outward signs of visual issues, an eye exam is the last thing I would ever think of especially at such a young age. 

I'm so thankful that our eye doctor was blunt with me about the real possibility of NoNut acquiring my eyes and reminding me of what it was like to go for so long with undetected vision problems when I was a child.  The difference that a pair of glasses makes is night and day! 

The point of this is to encourage those of you with vision issues to consider taking your child to the eye doctor rather than rely on the pediatrician alone. If your child isn't catching on to reading, it could be a readiness issue, developmental issue or a vision issue.  Don't discount the helpfulness of an eye doctor when it comes to your child's education.

After today, I feel like a whole new world has been opened to NoNut as we witnessed his confidence soar after one morning of reading and writing without much effort once he put his glasses on!

btw, after our experience, I will no longer think it's really weird to have an eye doctor set up shop at a homeschool convention!!  It makes perfect sense and hopefully helps a child from silently struggling!  

Getting Ready for a New Year

Tis the season for homeschool moms to research and purchase curriculum!  One of the benefits of year-round schooling is that we stagger curriculum purchases throughout the year as we finish some subjects earlier and others later.  However, we received our last box last week and we are ready to have our "official" first day of school next week (hopefully).

Several of you have asked what we are using this year.  I get slightly overwhelmed thinking about everything we are using, but I'm excited because we finally broke free of school-in-a-box and created a school year customized to our child, our beliefs and our preferences!  And, just because we have it, it doesn't mean we will use all of it...we'll see how (and where) it goes! 

Like last year, we will do Bible, reading, writing and math every day and then rotate through other subjects throughout the week.  We also don't do everything during "school hours".  We usually do Character Concepts for family devotions and we do Read Alouds for quiet time or bed time.  Art and PE vary according to what we have time for but we often replace those with NoNut's current interests (sports, field trips, etc.). 

I'm noticing that the older your child gets, the longer your school day gets, too.  The 30-45 minute school days are long gone, and even now, I'm wondering if two hours will be long enough!  We have yet to have a full day of school, so it will be interesting when it all comes together next week.  Like every other year, we will be tweaking our schedule a lot the first few weeks especially as we juggle hanging out with friends who are on summer vacation and going to the pool.  However, going to the pool is the best incentive for getting school done work early! 

Here is what we are using this year:

• History:  Sonlight Core C, God's World News
• Science:  Science in the Beginning; How Things Work book; Magic School Bus (books and Netflix)
• Math:  Horizons, Life of Fred (Butterflies & Cats)
• Language Arts:  Explode the Code, Easy Grammar, Sonlight Reading, All About Spelling, Handwriting Without Tears and Sonlight Read Alouds 
• Bible:  Positive Action Bible, Character Concepts Kids of Character, Notgrass' Walking in the Truth and words2remember4kids
• Extracurricular (as we have time/desire):  Baby Lambs Book of Art (still working on How Great Thou ART curriculum...it still has not captured our interest like we had hoped even after meeting the author) and Fitness 4 Homeschool (Family Time Fitness). 

While we were traveling this past weekend, I began creating our lesson plans for the first ten weeks of school.  Every year, I relied on Sonlight to tell us what to do and when for every subject, so it was rather fun creating our own lesson plans.  Okay, I felt liberated and like a Sonlight rebel creating our own version of the familiar Sonlight boxed schedule!  It is exciting to see everything come together for a new school year!

NoNut and I had our usual ice-cream celebration after we mailed off our Notice of Intent (NOI) last week.  And then we celebrated again when we received the customary NOI form letter from the Superintendent.  Every year, we use these days to celebrate the freedom and blessing to homeschool.  We want NoNut to realize that homeschooling is a gift and a sacrifice that come at a cost.  There are many pioneers who fought for the right to educate our children at home and we have no clue what the future holds for the freedom of this educational choice.  So we purposefully celebrate this freedom and thank God for this blessing! 

NoNut asked me today if we can start school on Friday because he just can't wait to officially start his school year on Monday!  I love my child's enthusiasm for school and for his desire to learn, to snuggle up together and read the afternoon away (although we don't need school to do that...) and to see what adventures await him each school day (me, too)!  While we have a lot on our plate this year, I am confident that God will lead us to what He wants us to know for each day.  He will lead us to the right resources, right field trips, right contacts and right opportunities that enrich and complement NoNut's education. 

Here is to another great year...! 

Our Biggest Homeschool Helps -- Part II

...Continued from "Our Biggest Homeschooling Helps -- Part I".

We previously talked about behavior stoplights and the treasure box in Part I.  Here are two more areas that have made the biggest difference in our homeschool. 

Reading & Writing

My child is like many other boys who do not like to write.  We have our biggest struggles over formal handwriting.  And I have had to realize that there will be plenty of time for formal handwriting as NoNut gets older.  While we struggled through Handwriting Without Tears during first grade (but with fewer tears than the year before), we took the rest of the year to find ways to make handwriting fun and to create that need and desire to write. 

We took NoNut to the toy store with pen, paper and clipboard and he had to write his own Christmas list.  His "copywork" was copying the logo or item name to his paper.  He would write shopping lists (especially when it came to planning for fun family dinners or parties).  He wanted to write signs for his door, his bed and even the bathroom.  It may not be a formal writing program, but he is getting writing practice in without realizing it. 

Fun with sight word cookie game!

For reading, we did a lot of sight word games (All About Spelling usually offers free games so we printed out a lot of those).  We read store signs, mail, comics, etc.  Again, there will be a time when all the fun and games are pushed aside for more formal learning, but we are building the learning foundation for our child.  Will he love learning and seek out ways to find out what he wants to know, or will he get bogged down too early in the tediousness of formal learning that could squelch any future desire to learn and even possibly give him a label for the rest of his life? 

Learning IS fun especially when you think outside of the box and discover that there are so many non-book ways to learn!  One of the big lessons we learned in first grade is that curriculum should be viewed as a guide.  It steers you in the right direction, but you should take advantage of the things your child is interested in.  NoNut quickly learned to count change by making Lego creations for his pretend Lego Store or "selling" his Ninja Turtle collection to the employees at work.  He learned to tell time when snack time depended upon it.  I would tell NoNut that snack time is at 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.  He was in charge of keeping an eye on the analog clock and letting me know when it was snack time.  It didn't take him long to learn to tell time as well as learn a bit of responsibility in that way.

"Selling" Ninja Turtles.

And the cool part is that after we would finish sections of our year-end testing (required by the state), NoNut would tell me he "saw" this activity or that activity in his mind and that helped him figure out the answers.  It wasn't pages in a book that he remembered, but the activities, the movement, the crazy motions or silly skip counting cheers that we made up.  It was really neat to see that reinforced with his testing results as he scored anywhere from well above average to highest level in every category. 

Yes, we do our fair share of book-learning, but book learning isn't everything.  Don't be afraid to get wildly creative in teaching your child.  It might not work for anyone else but your child, but you can be confident in knowing that he will learn, understand and retain regardless of method! 


Bedtime

One of the biggest things that helped us was putting our child to bed at the same time every night since birth.  I am an introvert and crave time alone to recharge and essentially function.  Having a newborn altered my world big time and I wasn't used to having someone constantly take from me every second of the day and it got draining fast.  I struggled for a long time over whether that was a selfish mindset or the way God created me.  And it didn't take long to see that if I don't have alone time to think, write, pray, read, etc., I cannot wholly function.  A firm, consistent bed time was my sanity saver, and it still is seven years later!  We do the same routine every night that we've done with NoNut since Day 1 -- pjs, brush teeth, prayers, story and glow stick (these are completely dependent on behavior) and bed. 

For the first 6 1/2 years of NoNut's life, he went to bed at 7 p.m.  One of his 2013 Christmas presents was an extended bedtime to 7:30 p.m.!  He thought he was big stuff to stay up that late!  Since Christmas and with Daylight Savings Time, it's been a bit harder to hold fast to the 7:30 p.m. bed time.  But we do our best to get him in bed at 7:30 p.m., and then I enjoy reading to him in bed until 8 p.m.  After that, he is expected to stay in bed and go to sleep.  NoNut does a great job respecting that time.  We have all had to learn to decipher what is a legitimate need that needs a parental response/attention versus trying to work the system which we do not respond to.  If he can't sleep, he'll turn on his little camping light and read, play Legos or play with his glow sticks in bed.  I count on that time between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. to spend time with my husband and get my work (personal work, school work, housework, ministry or volunteer work, and sometimes professional work) done without constant interruptions.  Putting NoNut down to bed at a specific time every night has saved our marriage and our sanity.  My husband and I have time to connect and communicate every day and I can get a "break" to get stuff done that contributes to who I am as a person, not just as a mom, especially a homeschooling mom.


With each of these things, setting and defining the expectations and then following through with consistency are the key.  There is a way to do this outside of homeschool and to incorporate expectations and consistency into every day life outside of homeschool hours.  However, I haven't been consistent enough to figure it all out.  First grade taught me a lot about the importance of building on the foundation, but you have to have to lay the foundation first before you can begin to build on it!  If the foundation isn't there, you don't have anything to build on!  It's worth the work and consistency to start out right.  And it's worth it to start out building the foundation throughout your child's whole life and throughout your whole home rather than limit it to just your homeschool hours! 

Our Biggest Homeschool Helps -- Part I

This post is for several mom-friends who wanted to know some techniques that have worked in our homeschool so far!  Feel free to use these ideas but make sure to tailor them to your child as you discover what their "motivators" are! 

Behavior Stoplights

Starting in preschool, we adopted the "Behavior Stoplights" to help reinforce desired school behaviors and to help demonstrate that all choices have consequences.  I printed out a blank calendar and my child (aka NoNut) had the choice to earn a sticker each day.  If he remained with a green or yellow light at the end of our school day, he received a sticker for his calendar.  If he received a red light, he would not get a sticker for the day.  If NoNut received a sticker every day that week, he would get to pick one item out of the treasure box (more on that below). 

I printed out stoplight cards to use for the year. Then, I created and posted our school rules on the wall.  During the first week of school, we always spent extra time reviewing the rules before jumping into the school work.  I placed the green light card on NoNut's desk or on the bookshelf in a visible area and we would proceed with our first subject.

If NoNut misbehaved or did not apply himself, he would get a warning.  The green light card was replaced with a yellow light card and a reminder of the expected behavior and what happens if we move to the red light card.  It often meant explaining what he was doing wrong and showing him the right way.  If NoNut continued to misbehave, he would get a red light and no sticker. 

At first, I gave in a little and let him earn the yellow light back with good behavior, but it got to the point where he expected to be able to earn it back every single time and he could totally work the system.  Rather than changing the heart, we were simply changing behavior.  So, for Kindergarten, we made it all nor nothing.  NoNut had to earn stickers every day of the week, no exceptions.  It was tough because there were some Mondays when I had to give him a red light which meant right off the bat, he would not be able to pick out of the treasure box that week.  Thankfully, that got his attention.  I always wondered what I would do if he didn't care and didn't try.  If he did try hard and kept green lights the rest of the week, I would do something special with him (play a game, read a favorite book, etc.) after school on Friday, but he could not pick out of the treasure box despite the tears and pleas that he would do better next time.

For first grade, we went through the school rules again at the beginning of the year.  But this year, we didn't keep a sticker chart/calendar and I was more relaxed on the behavior stoplights.  There were weeks when I had to revert back to using the stoplight cards so we could get back on track and redefine expectations.  But overall, I feel like we set the expectation from Day 1 of homeschooling that NoNut just knows that when we switch into school mode, this is how it's going to be.
 
The biggest secret to making the behavior stoplights work for us is consistency.  Looking back, our biggest downfall to using the behavior stoplight is that we did not do this for all areas of our life and limited it only to school hours.  A lot of power struggles and negative behavior would have been eliminated if we had done this throughout life.  Our homeschool is the only predictable area in our life that has consistency, structure and routine and a lot of it stems from laying out the expectations and starting out with the behavior stoplights. 


Treasure Box

The treasure box is a fun component to our homeschool!  Every Friday, NoNut gets to pick from the treasure box based on his behavior (see above).  We also let him pick out of the treasure box if he can say his Bible verses on Friday without any assistance.  We have used the treasure box as a surprise reward for times when NoNut has demonstrated super behavior over a period of time or for trying his hardest and not giving up when he wanted to and finally succeeding at it--for encouragement purposes.  And, we've also used the treasure box for reading incentives.  When NoNut finishes a reader, he gets to pick out a small prize from the treasure box because reading a book all the way through is a big accomplishment for him right now.  

The treasure box sits on top of our bookshelf so that it's not easily accessible.  We also make "Treasure Box Fridays" a big deal once we are done with our school work for the week.  NoNut never knows what will be in the box from week to week and that is half the fun! 

Target dollar aisles and the Dollar Tree are great places to find treasure box items.  Some things are a hit and other things are total duds and have been in the treasure box since NoNut started preschool a few years ago!  We also have friends who mail us homeschool care packages with little things that I put into the treasure box (those make the neatest and funnest treasures, too)! 

Here is what we have used in the treasure box over the years:

• Stickers (cut sticker sheets in half)
• Pencils (those are a total dud especially when there are other cool things to choose from)
• Holiday erasers (they were a dud until this year when NoNut actually started using erasers)
• Army Men
• Glow-in-the-dark items
• Bouncy Balls
• Mighty Beanz
• Squinkies
• Pods (?little tiny Star Wars guys in a tiny clear ball--those were good reading incentives)
• Toothbrushes
• Character band-aids (divide up in little ziplock baggies)
• Glow sticks (NoNut always goes for the glow sticks first!)
• Ring pops (always a favorite, but we try to stay away from candy more often than not)
• Pez (this is rare, but it makes for a good reading reward)
• Little craft kits
• Little character coloring packs
• Small toys
• Small sticker folders/books (Wild West, Trains, etc.)

...Continued in "Our Biggest Homeschool Helps -- Part II".

Beyond the Steeple & Christianese

Sometimes the best ministry doesn't take place under a steeple.  Nor does ministry always happen through a well thought-out program or during specified ministry hours.  But rather, some of the best ministry happens as we go through our daily routine.  It's unplanned and spontaneous.  It happens in the aisles of a grocery store or in the messy kitchen because the Spirit prompted me to drop of a sanity-saving bag of chocolate, a cup of hot cocoa or a freshly-baked dessert off at someone's house.  Ministry happens in the middle of the park while the kids are swinging or in the parking lot where we just put the kids in the van and gave them an iSomething to play with in order to buy us a few minutes to chat. 

For those of us who have grown up in church where a program can be created for every need, it's sometimes hard to see that ministry isn't all about church.  For me, it's taken the past year of being removed from formal church ministry to see what ministry is all about. Today I was reminded once again of the freedom that comes from viewing ministry as a way of life rather than something you do.  And, today reminded me once again of the of the importance of being available and in the moment so God can work in His ways. 

This afternoon, a woman came over to talk to us while we were browsing the aisles of a chain store.  The more she talked, the more frantic I was in trying to place her, but I had no clue who she was.  She mentioned that we met two summers ago at a homeschool event, and she started sharing what happened in her life since that one and only time we met.  She has been through so much with health issues, personal struggles, inner turmoil and was struggling with major mama-guilt over falling behind with school and not adequately balancing life's challenges and homeschool.  The more she shared, the more agitated she became and it was if a dam burst open and everything rushed out, tears and all.

The more I listened to this weary mama, the more I forgot that we were in the middle of a busy store on a holiday weekend.  I also forgot that I didn't even know her, for her pain and inner turmoil were so real.  What do you do in a situation like that except silently cry out to God for help, words, something?!  Sometimes, "Christianese" (aka the typical things Believers say in times of turmoil in attempt to "help") holds empty meaning especially when someone needs to see God and needs what He can give over everything else (including our words).  Our human vocabulary is so shallow when there is so much life-changing Scripture that we can share instead.  And when the timing isn't right and our words sound like mere "Christianese", the biggest thing to do is to simply pray.  In the middle of the store aisle, I uncharacteristically felt compelled to put my arm around this woman and just pray over her, her family and her homeschool. 

It wasn't so much the prayer but the being in the moment to stop and listen that spoke volumes to both of us.  How often do we rush through life or think because our kids are with us we can't stop long enough to say more than a quick "hi" to someone?  That mom and several other moms I've encountered over the past few weeks were longing for someone to acknowledge their existence and to offer a little encouragement to help them through the day.  More often than not, ministry has unexpectedly happened in store aisles or at the park or in each other's homes--places outside of the walls of the church.  And in these moments, God uses the daily to display Himself and become a personal God while revealing great majesty and authority.  He uses those moments to touch the broken through simple prayer.  He uses those moments as reminders of grace and of an ultimate plan for our lives.  He also uses those moments as windows of opportunity to plant seeds, but yet that requires an alertness and sensitivity that come from being in the moment rather than being consumed with the busyness of the moment. 

Ministry doesn't have to wait for church or for church programs.  There are too many people around us silently suffering that need encouragement.  God has been challenging me with the idea of boldness and confidence in Him so that I may make the most of these moments and to impart His Words rather than my own.  While I love praying, praying out loud is still not the most comfortable thing for me to do.  My prayers are not eloquent or educated, just conversational based on my relationship with God.  It's easy to let our self-consciousness keep us from being in the moment and from following that prompting of the Spirit to pray with someone in our midst.

Every day, I see more and more that life is short and uncertain. Life is hard, messy and painful.  And it seems like it is in the midst of the mess where Kingdom work truly happens--in the moments that are ugly, tough and raw and that need hope and transformation.  In the pain and suffering around us, we don't have time to be self-conscious about our prayers.  We have the Spirit interceding on our behalf (see Romans 8:26-27).  And we are commanded to come boldly in times of need (see Hebrews 4:16) just as much as we are commanded to make the most of encouraging one another while it is still called today, not tomorrow (see Hebrews 3:12-13 and I Thessalonians 5:11)!

What do we need to do in order to make sure that we are truly encouraging one another daily?  There are too many other weary mamas out there that need to see Christ at this very moment and our good intentions (that usually lack follow-through), busyness, and excuses (self-consciousness, fear, etc.) keep shattering windows of opportunity to plant the eternal kind of seeds. 

Hebrews 3:12-13 -- "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin."

I Thessalonians 5:11 -- "Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."

Sonlight Science vs. Science in the Beginning

We have been a Sonlight-only, multi-subject package homeschooling family since the beginning of our homeschool journey.  We have appreciated the ease and variety of Sonlight both for teacher and student.  And, it’s been well worth the cost to have everything come together in one box so all we need to purchase are a few pencils to start our school year.  In my naive mind, I thought we would do Sonlight Kindergarten through 12th grade.  But after two years using Sonlight, the honeymoon phase is over.  What worked for us in the beginning didn't necessarily work in its entirety two years later especially in regards to science.

With Sonlight Core A and Core B Science, we studied a variety of topics throughout the year so we never grew tired of science.  It was always new and fresh to my child.  We used several books to cover one area of science rather than one textbook.  We enjoyed fairly easy and age-appropriate science experiments using the things we had around our house plus the pre-made Sonlight science kit.  And, the science worksheets that came with the Sonlight Cores helped us gauge our child's comprehension level.   

Yet there were two negatives to Sonlight that we just couldn’t seem to work around.  The first was that fact that Sonlight uses mainly Usborne books for science.  Usborne presents the majority of its science from an evolution viewpoint.  Sonlight tries to compensate for that through shallowly sharing a Biblical viewpoint and a few accompanying verses in the Instructor’s Guide.  The second is that the Sonlight Core A and Core B science is an overview of science and it rarely goes beyond the surface.  However, I don’t think a science program can go beyond the surface if it’s not rooted firmly in the Word of God. 

So we were determined to find something different to use for science for second grade that had the Biblical, hands-on approach to science mixed with the variety of science that we love from Sonlight.  We really liked Apologia and how it is rooted in the Word, but we didn’t like how it focused on one area of science all year long.  That would quickly get old for my child (and for me).  A friend in a homeschool Facebook group recommended Dr. Jay Wile’s new science book, Science in the Beginning.  I had never heard of Dr. Wile before but when my friend mentioned that he wrote the high school science textbooks for Apologia, my interest was piqued.  Surely his Biblical worldview would carry over into his writing.  And knowing Apologia's reputation for science, surely he would bring a certain level of depth and knowledge to science that Sonlight didn’t afford with its Core. 

Dr. Wile sent us a copy of Science in the Beginning to look through and review, and we found the perfect compromise between Sonlight and Apologia!  Science in the Beginning is geared toward elementary students and can be done with one child or it can be done with several children of varying ages.  Each lesson ends with a review for the youngest students, older students and oldest students.  These reviews are centered around keeping a science journal and drawing or explaining the experiments and/or lessons.  At the end of first grade, we found ourselves going between the youngest and older student reviews based on my child’s writing vs. drawing capabilities. 

Like Sonlight, every experiment in Science in the Beginning (which there is one per lesson) can be done with household items.  There is a thorough explanation of what to do, and Dr. Wile explains the "why" behind every experiment (something that is hit or miss with Sonlight).  The plus to Science in the Beginning is that the experiments actually correspond with what you are studying; whereas, there is no coordination between Sonlight’s experiments and what is currently being studied (at least in Cores A and B). 

Science in the Beginning also relates science back to the Days of Creation.  The First Day of Creation Week (Lessons 1-15) deals with light where children learn all about light, colors, reflection, energy, the human eye, etc. The Second Day of Creation (Lessons 16-30) deals with everything water.  The Third Day of Creation (Lessons 31-45) centers around the land, rocks and plants.  Day Four of Creation (Lessons 46-60) focuses on the sun, moon and solar system.  Day Five of Creation gives an overview on birds and fish (Lessons 61-75).  And Day Six of Creation (Lessons 76-90) focuses on land animals, people and our senses.  Then, there is a page on Day Seven of Creation which talks about the need for rest. 

There is also a small supplement, Helps & Hints, to Science in the Beginning.  This guide contains the answers to the review questions in Science in the Beginning as well as contains corresponding tests and answer keys.  It is nice to have, but it is not necessary to complete the textbook. 

Science in the Beginning debuts Dr. Wile's new elementary series where he walks students through science in a historical context.  When we first received our book in December 2013, I was hesitant about jumping on board since the second book had not yet been released.  However, the second book, Science in the Ancient World, was released last month and there are plans for more to be released each year.  I see Dr. Wile’s series truly complementing the history portion of Sonlight’s Cores as science and history walk hand-in-hand.  We are picking up Science in the Beginning as we go into Sonlight Core C.  It is a great review and Science in the Beginning further reinforces the things we learned in previous Sonlight Cores.  For more on Dr. Wile’s approach, visit his blog at http://blog.drwile.com/?p=11016. 

I was concerned about Science in the Beginning being a duplicate of Sonlight Core A and B science, but there is enough difference between the two programs that it is worth going through Science in the Beginning in its entirety.  I was also concerned about Science in the Beginning being a “real” textbook since this is our first “official” textbook ever.  However, there is enough variety and science experiments in this book that we do not miss Sonlight science at all.  Plus, I secretly like having a little extra room on our bookshelf since we no longer need eight different books just for one year of science.  Science in the Beginning is a great starting point, and we use the library or find books at yard sales that complement Science in the Beginning for extra learning and enjoyment.  Also with Science in the Beginning, we are fully in control of the book selection rather than simply accepting what comes with the Sonlight Science program from an evolutionist standpoint. 

Science in the Beginning fills that niche for Sonlight users who aren’t ready to make a big curriculum change but who prefer science from a Biblical standpoint.  And Science in the Beginning provides both Biblical and educational depth that Sonlight simply cannot achieve using Usborne books.  It's definitely a great compromise for our family!  To find out more about Science in the Beginning, visit www.bereanbuilders.com/rl/index.php?8 .

Please note:  Other than receiving this product for free, we received no other compensation. 

Finding Our Way Back...Even If It Means Wearing a Dress

For the first 21 years of my life, I was raised with living up to a standard and given the Christian Code of Conduct.  You live a certain way, talk a certain way, behave a certain way and dress a certain way.  You never have a chance to really think for yourself because you become what you believe without really believing it.  You are immersed in the culture you are surrounded in, never doubting it because you have nothing else to compare it to.  The "why" is lost through routine and the "want to" is more like a "have to".

Then suddenly, one day you wake up as a young adult and realize that you don't have to do those things any more.  You are free to do whatever you want.  You begin to make little decisions that seem to have no consequence and lead you to a better, less-restricted life.  Over time, you become less and less like you once were yet still believing in the same God yet questioning the validity of minor aspects of the "Christian Code of Conduct" while still hanging on to the major beliefs.  Some changes are due to maturing into adulthood and others are because you never understood the why behind it all. 

Years later, as you are well into adulthood, something happens that shakes you to your core as you realize just how far you've really strayed from those childhood days.  You begin to see where little choices made over the years pulled you toward a man-made ideal or a feel-good standard.  You are living a good life that seems overtly godly, but you are still missing the why.  You begin to see where little compromises in the gray areas led you that much further away without even realizing it.  You see where areas that had once been open to God had become shut because it became about you and you dictating that relationship with God rather than developing that relationship with God.  It became about relevancy rather than reverence, about succeeding in ministry rather than the sacredness of the church.  It became about comfort rather than claiming the things that set us apart as Believers, and about trying to fit Christianity into our culture rather than living out the Word without compromise.

During our church search, we saw so many different things.  We saw where churches worshipped God and where they worshipped self.  We saw how they responded to needs or how they scoffed at needs.  We saw where they embraced the community and actively served the community and then where they wanted to reach out to the community but just as long as the community stayed outside of the church doors.  We were left wondering where God wanted us and what He wanted us to learn from all of this. 

Back in March, we walked in the door of one church where I was instantly transported back to the first 21 years of my life.  I saw the standard and Code of Conduct.  I saw the dress (aka real dresses...like something I gave up wearing after I got my BJU diploma because I discovered the freedom of wearing pants to church and that wearing pants to church didn't change my Christianity)!  I saw the once-familiar culture that could easily become routine once again...a routine I don't want my child to know because I want him to know the richness of relationship over routine.  Yet, it was the place were I felt most at home.  For the first time since my SC days, my heart finally felt at home.  We found our way back into the culture that we had, choice by choice, moved so far away from without realizing it.

I first knew something was different when I realized the sacredness and reverence of each service.  There was seriousness and depth that stemmed from being in the Word, not just talking about the Word.  I didn't realize how much we were craving that reverence until we could name it that Sunday we visited.  In a society that is far from God as it can get, I want church to be respite from it all--a place where we can rest and not have to fight against culture for the three hours we are in there; a place that challenges you to be set apart and that will encourage you to live to the higher standard found in God's Word--that is the norm, not the rarity.

There is so much found in the leadership of this church that is godly, respectable and peaceable.  The leaders are praying together and striving to do what is right before God and their families.  The men are in charge and they are taking on the leadership in their church and in their homes.  The women aren't running the show nor destroying the show with their idle talk and poisonous gossip (if it's there, I'm not privy to it and want to keep it that way).  And this church tells you upfront that they are not perfect but that they are learning and growing together ... it's more of a journey together rather the air of "We've already arrived, sorry you haven't!" that we've encountered in several other churches.  We want to be a part of a learning and growing culture where there is seriousness and depth centered around God's Word not only in the adult program but the children's program as well.   

We found a women's Bible study where small talk is obsolete because that social time is spent learning from the Word.  The study is centered around pure Truth because Bibles are opened rather than the study guides.  The discussion isn't about how you feel but rather what God says and His desired response.  It's what Bible study used to be before it evolved over the years, before the Beth Moores and the Priscilla Shirers where bandwagon triumphs the Bible.

On Sunday, I wore my first skirt to church in over 9 years.  My child had no clue what in the world I was wearing but even he knew it signaled something special.  Of course, he and his father were hilarious in lavishing me with compliments.  But for the first time in years, I felt like church WAS special.  I also didn't feel out of place between my two guys who go to church every Sunday looking their best in dress shirts and ties.  I've been waiting for the day when my child would ask me, "Mom, why do you make me wear a tie when you wear your black jeans and don't dress up with us?"  But since we've been at this church and through observing what goes on during the services, Sundays are special once again because we are remembering that we serve a Holy God that deserves more than we can give.  So why am I so resistant about wearing a dress/skirt?  Surely what I wear shouldn't affect my relationship with God...and it doesn't.  Yet it is those hidden heart attitudes that I've held on to all of these years (stubbornness, lack of submission, selfishness, etc.) that surface every single time I walk into that church.  God is urging me to see the scaredness of His house like I saw it as a child and to allow my family the pure joy of having one special day every week that is set aside just for God, not just simply go to church.
  
Yet this time, instead of church being routine or an assumed culture, it's a chosen way of life based on conviction and grace.  Over the past two years, homeschooling has revealed God's design for our family and for His people.  We have been challenged to a higher standard of living and have seen God help us develop the backbone needed to make tough decisions that help us fall in line with His Word and to endure the ridicule and gossip that go along with that.  It only seems fitting that God would lead us to a church that raises the bar and that challenges and supports us to live holy lives before God.  This is what we want for our family yet with the hopes of instilling the why over rote and relationship over tradition.

Sometimes we have to go through life's trials and to learn things the really hard way so we can see a clearer picture of the way God wants us to live and act as Believers.  Do we truly represent Him or a man-made version of Him?  I Peter 1:13-15 says, "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy."  We are thankful that, through God's grace and strength, we can rise above ignorance and grow into the life which God desires of us...holiness.