10/19/13

Mercies New For The Weekend {Weekend Reflecting}

Weekend Reflections & Journal:
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Well, I hope you have all been enjoying my silence . . . but now it's over.  I have been absent from my blogging home for far too long.  Writing is part of my "self-care" regiment, and if I'm not blogging then guess what?  Yep, you guessed it, mommy is not taking care of mommy.  

I will be focusing my efforts toward getting back to the swing of blogging again.  I will begin by my weekly weekend reflections posts and see if I can get better at self-care from there.

 Reflecting on the week with joy; come good, bad, or indifferent . . . 

This week's major forefront issue for this lady, has been a conscience choice to not complain.  I'll be honest, it's not going well!  How easy it is to lean on the idea that somehow, because life is difficult, we deserve to complain.  

Counting my blessings daily has long been a common practice of mine, and thanking God for these excessive graces is a morning practice of mine, as well.  The issue for me lies in the quick movements throughout the day . . . springing, of course, from the general speed of my day.  
I must be quick with nothing.  Slow to consider every moment and complaint.  Contemplative and meditative of every thought, action and word.  That my deeds may be judged only as working "unto the LORD". Amen.
I've taken up a little "chalk art", leaving scriptures and messages for the kids.
What I'm reading this week . . .   What's on my e-Reader . . . 
The Art of Strewing, by: Aadel Bussinger

What the kids are reading this week . . . 
The Squeaker: Johnny Tremain, The Warriors Series (ugh! but she loves it . . .)
The Scout: Johnny Tremain, The Time Machine 
The Bug: Paint the Wind, Farmer Boy (again & again), No Fear Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet + plus she is going to the ballet to see Romeo & Juliet this weekend with her daddy for her birthday!
Relaxing with Romeo & Juliet
Mom projects that I tackled this week . . . 
  • All things homeschool co-op related.  Since taking on additional programming at the academy & teaching 4 sections of history . . . well, that's just about all the projects I can afford!
  • Working on writing one letter per week to someone.  Letter writing is a dying art, one that I refuse to let die out in our family.
This was a notebooking entry from one of my 7th grade students at co-op.  I was laughing at the drama . . . "One time I could have died . . . " I love kids!!!
    What I'm Eating?  
    Eating well during the school and work week.  My particular weakness right now?  The weekends & turtle cheesecake.  PRAY FOR ME!

    Here are the posts I enjoyed this week . . .
    • Need a lesson on homeschooling with empathy?  Yep, me too!  Here is a great how-to article at Simple Homeschool.
    • Come and read some practical tips for being a balanced Work-at-Home Mom over at Keeper of the Home, especially if you are just starting out.
    • My teens have been huge on my prayer list lately, especially as we are walking toward "courtship" years.  Here is a great look at a non-traditional courtship over at Raising Homemakers.

    Joyfully Learning with You,
    The Joyful Socks Mom 

    Be sure to keep up with Joyful Socks on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

    HERE are other blog posts you might enjoy:
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    7/15/13

    5 More Reasons Scripture Memory is Indispensable to Our Home Education

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    Scripture memory has been a foundation for our home education since almost the beginning.  I was fortunate enough as a child to experience a consistent reinforcement of scripture memory, and it became a part of who I was, who I still am as well.  

    No matter the many, many pitfalls, stumbling,  sin and mistakes along my journey as an adult, the planting of God's Word in my heart early on in childhood, helped ensure that I was never long, nor comfortable in my sin.  God's Word is a lamp and light.  One I have depended on to see me back to righteousness' path.

    This is a gift I long to give my own children.  Here are just a few more reasons to consider scripture memory in your home education:

     1.  Planting the Word of God on rich and faithful soil (a.k.a. your child's heart) will produce good fruit.  
    Warning: This means fruit will be produced in God's timing, not your's.   
    Consistency in matters of faith and spirituality are what you, as a parent and educator, should be solely focused.  The actual fruit is God's job, so stay out of the way.
    Trust me, I'm speaking from experience here.

     2.  God's Word planted in developmental years helps to reinforce thoughtfulness, reason & logic, meditation on God's Word and develop deep thought processes in children as they grow.
    ORIGINAL PHOTO CREDIT via Compfight.com cc


    3.  Routine does not equal monotony.  The daily referring back to God's Word is a better means of achieving obedience in faith matters with your children, and also practical everyday family matters in the home.  Fact: Force equals resistance.  Just telling a child they must obey, and not why it is right, is a common parental mistake.  Referring every action and subsequent reaction or consequence back to the Bible is a means of creating sound logic in the mind of a child.  God's Word brings meditation, thoughtfulness and obedience by way of positive motivation.

    4. When children have made Bible memory a daily priority, you will be amazed at what they are able retain.  It is one of this momma's favorite moments, when I see one of my children lip synced with the Pastor as he is reading from the Word.  Children smile from ear to ear with a real sense of accomplishment when they know, from heart, a scripture that is being discussed.
    ORIGINAL PHOTO via Compfight.com cc


    5. Children have a certain faith that is difficult for adults to attain. Adding to that "child-like" faith with Biblical virtues and scripture, is worth all the effort and time you invest . . . and beyond.

     2 Peter 1:5-8 
    "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

     HERE IS A POST ABOUT HOW WE CONDUCT OUR DAILY BIBLE MEMORY:
    Teaching Biblical Character: Scripture Memory

    Joyfully Learning with You,
    The Joyful Socks Mom 

    Be sure to keep up with Joyful Socks on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

    HERE are other blog posts you might enjoy:
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    7/3/13

    Celebrating Independence and NOT the 4th of July

    Well here we are again with the typical, non-thoughtful, monotonous "holiday" greetings . . . 

    "Happy and safe 4th to you!"

    "Happy 4th of July!"

    "Come to our Annual 4th of July parade."

    Why has this simple, typical greeting irritated me to the point of posting a fanatical diatribe? 

    When we begin to identify a holiday by the date that the event happened, we are at risk of loosing the significance and demean the importance of that holiday or day of observance.
    (P.S. The Founding Fathers DID NOT sign the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July, nor was there ANY SCENE like that depicted below . . . But that is for another day.)

    I submit that yes, dates are important in reference to the historical significance of a holiday or event.  However, the date, day and year do not solely define the historic event that is being celebrated, or observed.  History is more than dates to be memorized long enough to spout back out on testing day.

    The 4th of July, 1776
    September 11th, 2001
    December 7th, 1941

    These are all days to observe with dignity, reverence and respect. 
    Naming these days of observance by the day that they happened demeans the greater meaning and significance that these moments in history exemplify.  Let us not fall into the monotony of proclaiming unintentionally, "Well, it was just something that happened."
    PHOTO CREDIT via Compfight.com CC

    Taking the moment to proclaim "Independence Day", "Patriot's Day", or "Pearl Harbor Day", denotes that I have taken the time to reflect and meditate on of this day, and learned the lesson it has to tell.  I have taken the time to make an emotional connection with the people who lived through those moments, and given remembrance to those who did not survive.  I have given pause enough to learn and show respect for those founders who shaped and formed their times.

    These moments in time are worth gaining an intimacy with people, real people, that stretches across decades and centuries.

    This is a rare glimpse of history, not just as simple knowledge acquisition, but a connection and grasping to the individuals that made history what it is.

    The challenge. 
    Proclaim with American-made pride.
    Independence Day
    Patriot's Day
    Pearl Harbor Day

    It is a choice. A choice to proclaim, "We still have much to learn and gain from the sacrifice you gave." 

    We choose to give reverence and respect to those who chose to set themselves apart, and stand for the cause of liberty against the evil of tyranny. Taxation without representation.

    ORIGINAL PHOTO CREDIT via Compfight.com CC

     There is hope still for our country, made evidence by those who have sealed it, throughout time, with their noble deeds and their own life's blood.

    Happy Independence Day!
    Joyfully Learning with You,
    The Joyful Socks Mom 

    Be sure to keep up with Joyful Socks on Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

    Here are a few more posts you may enjoy:
    PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: The Mystery of History by Bright Ideas Press - The best chronological, classically based world history, with a biblical worldview!  
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