Apr

1

Media Fast 2012

April 1, 2012 | Civics and Current Events  |  Comments Off

“The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…”

Today is the first day of my media fast, which will last until the end of April. Every year when I start one, I am usually so weary of the news that I think I will never read another news story again. This year I don’t feel quite so weary. Oh, there’s no doubt I’m tired of a certain spin put on stories by the usual suspects, but I’ve been seeing much light at the end of the tunnel in getting the truth out to millions through social media. Issues that have struggled to be heard are getting a good hearing. The harsh reactions can be disheartening, but sincere, thoughtful people are listening and responding, too. I’ll be taking a break from reading all news and from using Facebook, anyway. I don’t typically watch TV much anymore. So, that won’t be an issue.

Well, where am I headed? Deep in prayer, I hope. I want to know the trust and contentment in the Everlasting Arms. My days have been much too much running around, and there is so much that lies ahead this year. It’s a time of transition.

Aug

15

First Day of School!

August 15, 2011 | Uncategorized  |  1 Comment

I first learned about Charlotte Mason and the classical method when my daughter was still in preschool. I liked Charlotte Mason’s attitude toward the children and their learning. The absolute most influential thing I read that made the biggest impact on the way I STARTED homeschooling was the nature walks and the drawing notebooks. I had been drawing since I was a child and that really spoke to me. As I sat staring at two large stacks of Bob Jones textbooks and workbooks that I had borrowed to look through and consider in getting my young child started on the path to homeschooling, I suddenly realized in living color the sharp contrast. So, I returned the textbooks and we went out on field trips. We walked to the library and visited any and every museum available. We watched planes take off and visited festivals and listened to books on tape and read every night and memorized scripture and sang songs and watched Wishbone and made gifts and baked and tasted and discovered and experimented.

I wanted to keep the same attitude when we did hit the books, and in large part we did that, and what it resulted in was teaching what was ‘at hand’. Lesson plans were loosely made and loosely followed. If I suddenly realized they would benefit from reading something or learning something, I would introduce it. Sometimes it would catch and sometimes it would need to be lying around for awhile before it would get read or learned. I leave a lot of stuff ‘lying around’. On a trip last week, I asked the boys to pack for themselves for a couple of days. When we arrived at our destination, I realized that our 10yo had only packed his backpack full of action figures. I asked him what he thought I meant when I said ‘pack’. He said he thought *I* would bring his toothbrush and change of clothes. I said I would check and see if grandma and grandpa had packs of toothbrushes in the bathroom and my 15yo son said, “Could you see if they have any underwear?”. Ha! So, he didn’t pack either. Well, what was in that heavy backpack? It contained his bible, a notebook, some pens and Strongs Exhaustive Concordance.

So, leave lots of great stuff lying around. Pick it up, read and share…don’t stress.

Apr

23

Thinking, thinking, thinking

April 23, 2011 | Just Some Thoughts...  |  Comments Off

Today we went to the Audubon museum in Henderson, KY. There is a tower at the side of the museum and we climbed the stairs to the summit. Inside, we laid on the floor and observed the architecture inside. The masonry and beams were exposed and Ryan speculated about the habits and character of the masons that laid the brick for this structure. Was there a particular pattern that was used for the amusement of the mason or was there a structural reason for the way the bricks were laid? You could see and smell the age of the wood beams. The windows were metal framed glass panes, narrow and slightly warped. It’s amazing how many details Ryan now notices after a year in carpentry. Great day…

Mar

31

Modifying My Annual Media Break

March 31, 2011 | Announcements, Civics and Current Events, Media  |  Comments Off


My habit has been to break from the media every spring. I started this several years ago when I was an active participant in an online forum of homeschool moms. I found that winter often became an intense time of debate over difficult issues and spring was the perfect time to break and stop participating in the frustrating conversations in which I often found myself. Looking back now, the intensity usually started right before election season and continued through with heated discussions about Christmas and then lent and then Passover and Easter and the Lord’s supper and the protestant reformation and the Lord’s Day or not. I would often promise myself that I wouldn’t go back to that forum and I could hold out for several months or even a year, but then I ended up back there. The last two years, I’ve been on Facebook and that has changed my habits. I haven’t visited that online forum since Facebook, but last year, when I started my media fast, I failed. I found reasons to read posts, so I promised myself I would just read and not reply. Then I replied once and told myself I would just read and OCCASSIONALLY reply, but not post a status. But then I would read a particularly pointed verse in scripture that I felt needed to be shared immediately and so I would post it and tell myself that I could post, but only post scripture…and then I would check back to see if anyone replied, and if so, I would reply and start a conversation and all this interaction on Facebook would keep me seeing the posts and links that were news related and I remained distracted and didn’t feel that I had taken any break whatsoever.

So, I’m not sure what to do this year. April 1st is tomorrow. I use Facebook as a communication tool like the phone or e-mail. Every day, every hour, every moment will have to be a question of what is neccessary and what isn’t.

No news today
No more FB today

I won’t abandon my blog just yet as it is helping me focus today, but what is my focus? My focus is to spend the time I am not using up on games and reading news and chatting with friends to pray and draw near to the Lord.

Father in heaven, I draw near to you in prayer this morning. It’s Thursday and on this day, my prayers are directed at the church….not the church building and the people who go there, but to your church, your body, your bride. Lord, I pray for your church in this time of distraction and scattered thoughts. Draw us to you and help us narrow our focus to seeking first your kingdom and your righteousness. I pray now for some special requests. Holy Spirit intercede for the needs of our music minister and his wife and son. Their son is very ill and they are far away from home. I also pray for family that will be traveling this weekend. Father, carry them safely to their destination. I pray for my husband’s health this weekend. Give me wisdom as I take care of his needs and I pray for help in speedily taking care of problems that could turn into a hospital visit if they aren’t helped soon. I pray also for my daughter and her pain when walking. Direct us that we won’t be running from one doctor to another, with no relief. Teach me more to pray without ceasing, to pray in all things and give thanks in all things. Following you Lord, I have been looking at my feet walking the path and lagging far behind, when I should be looking you in the eye.

Mar

29

Romans Road – 7

March 29, 2011 | Uncategorized  |  Comments Off

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

.” – Romans 10:14

- Memorize Romans 10:14
- Read Romans Ch. 10
- Write Romans 10:14 in your journal
- Pray

My prayer today: Today is Tuesday – Prayer for family

Lord, I come before you with thanksgiving for the way you have worked out circumstances to fit a need. It means changes and I’m not ready for those changes, but the changes are neccessary to help others. Father, I pray the remaining work to be done this week goes smoothly. Give us wisdom as a family to deal with what’s to come. Lord, help me to be appropriately sensitive but not overly sentimental. I pray for family we may get to see this weekend. Work out the timing and the plan. Help us all to be well rested and not ill, so we can enjoy this bit of time together. I also give thanks for a brother and sister that are going out of their way to carry a heavy load. I pray for them in these coming months and ask for you to show us any way we could help. Lord, I need an organized mind today. Looking around, there’s much to do and not enough hours in the day. I need thee every hour…

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