~Happy Fourth of July~
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Contentment Revisted
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If you've been a long time reader or one who does a little digging around here, then you know a little about our family's ministry and all the ups and downs that we have faced. There is a HUGE chunk that I left out to keep people from thinking I was bitter (which I was and still have to deal with). I also felt the Lord would bless our family more if I never spoke a name of a person(s). I honestly believe the Lord has blessed us because of this and that he is going to continue to bless our family.
I wrote BE CONTENT in 2009 after a whirlwind trip to Montana to bring our family possessions home. Almost three years later, I still feel a little twinge of hurt when I think about some of the items that we left behind. Those items were earthly possessions that we either bought or were given to us by loved ones. At one time,these were items that we loved and thought we could never live without. Funny, three years later 90% of those items we can't recall and we've lived without them.
In these three years, the Lord has provided new items to take the place of the old ones. I have also kept myself from longing for certain items by not flipping through magazines, watching home shows, and being careful at searching the internet where I will see things and begin to want.
Since 2009, we have changed how we live and collect items. If we bring something in that is similar to items that we already own, one is sent out. My husband and son are not really collectors of anything, so when I say "I" or "we", truly, it's all me. For example, I collect old milk bottles and I have limited my collection to 6 and no more. For clothes, I have a large bag hanging in my sewing room where I place clothing items that no longer fit or have not been worn in the past year. We also add to the clothes bag when new clothing comes into the house. I can't help but remember the conversation made by Missy to Marty in the movie Love Comes Softly, about being able to wear only one dress at a time. I am not that drastic in our clothing, but who really needs 5 black skirts or 25 pairs of shoes? (I have never owned 25 pairs of shoes at one time, let along 25 pairs of black shoes.) :)
I am not a minimalist, I do like to see "pretties" sitting around and being shared with others. I believe the Lord wants us to have nice things, and he wants us to be good stewards with the items and space that we have. I don't believe he wants us to fill our closets full of clothing we don't wear, nor have boxes full of UKIs (unknown items) filling our attics, basements,closets and garages. I honestly don't think he would want us spending good money on storing all the junk we've collected just to keep from having to ditch it.
To end this post, I want to express I am still CONTENT.
I wrote BE CONTENT in 2009 after a whirlwind trip to Montana to bring our family possessions home. Almost three years later, I still feel a little twinge of hurt when I think about some of the items that we left behind. Those items were earthly possessions that we either bought or were given to us by loved ones. At one time,these were items that we loved and thought we could never live without. Funny, three years later 90% of those items we can't recall and we've lived without them.
In these three years, the Lord has provided new items to take the place of the old ones. I have also kept myself from longing for certain items by not flipping through magazines, watching home shows, and being careful at searching the internet where I will see things and begin to want.
Since 2009, we have changed how we live and collect items. If we bring something in that is similar to items that we already own, one is sent out. My husband and son are not really collectors of anything, so when I say "I" or "we", truly, it's all me. For example, I collect old milk bottles and I have limited my collection to 6 and no more. For clothes, I have a large bag hanging in my sewing room where I place clothing items that no longer fit or have not been worn in the past year. We also add to the clothes bag when new clothing comes into the house. I can't help but remember the conversation made by Missy to Marty in the movie Love Comes Softly, about being able to wear only one dress at a time. I am not that drastic in our clothing, but who really needs 5 black skirts or 25 pairs of shoes? (I have never owned 25 pairs of shoes at one time, let along 25 pairs of black shoes.) :)
I am not a minimalist, I do like to see "pretties" sitting around and being shared with others. I believe the Lord wants us to have nice things, and he wants us to be good stewards with the items and space that we have. I don't believe he wants us to fill our closets full of clothing we don't wear, nor have boxes full of UKIs (unknown items) filling our attics, basements,closets and garages. I honestly don't think he would want us spending good money on storing all the junk we've collected just to keep from having to ditch it.
A Dollar A Day
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This post contains affiliate links.
I should have thought of this sooner, but I didn't. I read the book Cleaning House by Kay Wyma for a review and found this idea in the book.
The author tells that she put 31 one dollar bills in a jar in her children's bedrooms. When the rooms were inspected, if a "non approved" mess was found; a dollar was removed from the jar. At the end of the month all the money that was left was divided up among those living in the room. What a neat idea!
What is "non approved"? Well, children do not clean the way an adult cleans. So as a parent, we need to approve certain "clutter" to be tidy. I know this is like seeing a thick layer of dust on a ceiling fan and approving it as tidy. Yep, a pet peeve of mine.
I like the money jar idea, but the money for the whole month I don't like. I think it would become "not a big deal" over time. I know for myself, if I saw the money being put in weekly I would tend to be more motivated. My son is the same way, so each Saturday morning I give Jamie 7 one dollar bills and he puts them in the jar. This is the day that the room is cleaned thoroughly and it is up to him to keep it tidy all week.
When Jamie was at a 4H outing at the first of the month, I deep cleaned his room. I did this, so he would have a fresh room to work with. Since that day, he has only had one bill removed from his jar. He has 4H camp coming up in two weeks and will have extra spending money to take with him. He's liking this idea and working to keep untidiness at bay.
 | Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement By Kay Wills Wyma / WaterBrook We all want to make life easier for our kids, but are we doing too much? Are we fostering an attitude of entitlement? Sharing her experiences with her own children, Kay Wyma helps you teach your youngsters real-life skills - from making their beds and controlling clutter to practicing hospitality and engaging in community service. |
Your Heart's Desire - A Review
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This post contains affiliate links.
Your Heart's Desire
Hope and healing for every woman who has ever loved a man...
Each chapter has life-challenging love stories, love coaching, powerful prayers, inspiring scriptural love letters, and a Transforming Truth.
If you’re ready for a refreshing perspective on love, men, and marriage, this book is for you.
My Thoughts:
Marriage is hard! It takes both man and woman to work in keeping a marriage together. Today, we have Hollywood making marriage look like something it is not. Because of this, there are are hundreds of single and married women dreaming of an easy marriage life; a life that is full of romance, smiles and hugs. Truthfully, a marriage can be that way, but it is something that has to be worked on.
Marriage is hard! It takes both man and woman to work in keeping a marriage together. Today, we have Hollywood making marriage look like something it is not. Because of this, there are are hundreds of single and married women dreaming of an easy marriage life; a life that is full of romance, smiles and hugs. Truthfully, a marriage can be that way, but it is something that has to be worked on.
Sheri writes about how to have your heart's desire in her book. Women want different things than men and we sometimes allow things to happen so we can have that desire. Because of this, men begin to fill inadequate in their marriage and leadership role. She reminds women that it is not all about us, but also our husband.
A wonderful book!
I received this book for free from Tyndale House Publishers in return of my honest opinion.
 | Your Heart's Desire: 14 Truths That Will Forever Change the Way You Love and Are Loved By Sheri Rose Shepherd / Tyndale House Is there something missing in your marriage? Do you long for a bold, gallant, and fearless love? Discover how to unlock the hero inside your husband! Offering wise, heartfelt, practical guidance, Shepherd shares Scripture verses, personal stories, and her trademark love letters to help you heal from past hurts---and give and receive the love you crave. 256 pages, softcover from Tyndale. |
Cleaning House Book Review
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ENTITLEMENT ~ It's a major problem in our society today. Kay Wills Wyma discusses this way of thought while explaining her methods of decluttering her home in CLEANING HOUSE A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement.This is not a "how to" book. It is more of an encouragement to get the next generation up and working all the while building character and teaching them to be grateful for what they have.
Is Your Home Out of Order?
Do your kids think that clean, folded clothes magically appear in their drawers? Do they roll their eyes when you suggest they clean the bathroom? Do you think it’s your job to pave their road to success? As parents, so often we hover, race in to save, and do everything we can for our kids—unintentionally reinforcing their belief that the world revolves around them.
When Kay Wyma realized that an attitude of entitlement had crept into her home, this mother of five got some attitude of her own. Cleaning House is her account of a year-long campaign to introduce her kids to basic life skills. From making beds to grocery shopping to refinishing a deck chair, the Wyma family experienced for themselves the ways meaningful work can transform self-absorption into earned self-confidence and concern for others.
With irresistible humor and refreshing insights, Kay candidly details the ups and downs of removing her own kids from the center of the universe. The changes that take place in her household will inspire you to launch your own campaign against youth entitlement. As Kay says, “Here’s to seeing what can happen when we tell our kids, ‘I believe in you, and I’m going to prove it by putting you to work.’”
The author explains how she moved responsibilities onto her children within a 12 month experiment. The children started out with their bedrooms and moved on to a new chore each month. Definitely a slow and steady wins the race kind of teaching experience. I like that!
Kay did give one idea that I have implemented in our home and that is using a money jar to help keep motivation going. For each day the bedroom is not clean a dollar is removed. At the end of the month all month left in the jar, the child keeps.
If you've been looking for help in moving your children into more responsibilities around the house, then don't look any further. Cleaning House is the book you need to read.
I received this book for free from WalterBrook Multnomah for my honest opinion.
This post contains affiliate links.
Is Your Home Out of Order?
Do your kids think that clean, folded clothes magically appear in their drawers? Do they roll their eyes when you suggest they clean the bathroom? Do you think it’s your job to pave their road to success? As parents, so often we hover, race in to save, and do everything we can for our kids—unintentionally reinforcing their belief that the world revolves around them.
When Kay Wyma realized that an attitude of entitlement had crept into her home, this mother of five got some attitude of her own. Cleaning House is her account of a year-long campaign to introduce her kids to basic life skills. From making beds to grocery shopping to refinishing a deck chair, the Wyma family experienced for themselves the ways meaningful work can transform self-absorption into earned self-confidence and concern for others.
With irresistible humor and refreshing insights, Kay candidly details the ups and downs of removing her own kids from the center of the universe. The changes that take place in her household will inspire you to launch your own campaign against youth entitlement. As Kay says, “Here’s to seeing what can happen when we tell our kids, ‘I believe in you, and I’m going to prove it by putting you to work.’”
The author explains how she moved responsibilities onto her children within a 12 month experiment. The children started out with their bedrooms and moved on to a new chore each month. Definitely a slow and steady wins the race kind of teaching experience. I like that!
Kay did give one idea that I have implemented in our home and that is using a money jar to help keep motivation going. For each day the bedroom is not clean a dollar is removed. At the end of the month all month left in the jar, the child keeps.
If you've been looking for help in moving your children into more responsibilities around the house, then don't look any further. Cleaning House is the book you need to read.
I received this book for free from WalterBrook Multnomah for my honest opinion.
| Cleaning House: A Mom's 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement By Kay Wills Wyma / WaterBrook We all want to make life easier for our kids, but are we doing too much? Are we fostering an attitude of entitlement? Sharing her experiences with her own children, Kay Wyma helps you teach your youngsters real-life skills - from making their beds and controlling clutter to practicing hospitality and engaging in community service. |
Are You An Encouragement OR Discouragement?
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As parents if we want to ruin our relationship with our children, be a discouraging parent to them - let all the world hear you behave like a spoiled brat! Let your child hear rude, negative comments about something that they have done. Compare them with others. Don't talk to them like they are a human. Teach them they must never lose at something. Teach them they are better than everyone else.
I am an observer. I am one of these people who sit back and just watch. I usually don't join in a group and get carried away with a conversation. I watch how people talk, react, and be their true selves. I'm one of these that others look at and wonder what is she thinking. I don't do this to be judgmental, to be a snob or to think I'm better than others. It is something I do to learn about other people. If you want to see the true colors in people, sit back and watch them; you'll be amazed at what you learn.
I'm pretty good at keeping a poker face when I want during the times I'm observing. But there are times, when others will know that I am happy or upset or I disapprove of something. For the past month, I have been playing a scene over in my mind that I was subjected to at the May junior rodeo. The scene was of a father who apparently was not happy with his son's chute dogging. Right in front of me and any one walking by, the father began talking down to his son in a very high pitched voice. A noise that would have called the neighborhood dogs in. Think of fingernails across a blackboard; it was that bad. All I kept hearing was "What did you think you were doing?" and "I could have taken that steer down", and "You didn't have your head in the game." Let's just say, I removed my poker face and put on my face of disapproval. It did not take long for that father to shut his mouth and help his son gather up his gear and leave.
This man was talking to his ten year old son. Yes, the father could have taken down the 300 pound steer. But, I give the kid credit for climbing into a chute with a 300 pound steer and wrapping his arms around it's neck and walking him out to the line and trying to throw him off his feet without losing his grip. Not many ten year old boys will do this. Not many grown adult men will do this. When I think about the scene, all I remember was the little boy standing with his head down ~ ashamed. I wonder if he was ashamed of his competition or if he was ashamed of how his father was talking to him; I may never know.
I do know this, as parents if we want to ruin our relationship with our children, be a discouraging parent to them - let all the world hear you behave like a spoiled brat! Let your child hear rude, negative comments about something that they have done. Compare them with others. Don't talk to them like they are a human. Teach them they must never lose at something. Teach them they are better than everyone else.
The above photo was taken last summer; it is one of my favorites that my husband took. A father kindly explaining the ins and outs of roping.
If you want to have a relationship with your children, where they can come talk to you about anything... I mean ANYTHING - let your child talk before butting in and cutting them off with an astounding NO. Listen to their reasoning. Be constructive in your criticism. Take the time to personally show your children how to do something. Yes, they make simple mistakes that keep them from moving forward; who doesn't, we are human. When all does not go as planned, put your arms around them and tell them you love them and everything is going to be okay. ~ Let others know you are an encouraging parent by your actions.
I want my son to look back on his youth and say, "My parents were encouragers."
The above photo was taken last summer; it is one of my favorites that my husband took. A father kindly explaining the ins and outs of roping.
I am an observer. I am one of these people who sit back and just watch. I usually don't join in a group and get carried away with a conversation. I watch how people talk, react, and be their true selves. I'm one of these that others look at and wonder what is she thinking. I don't do this to be judgmental, to be a snob or to think I'm better than others. It is something I do to learn about other people. If you want to see the true colors in people, sit back and watch them; you'll be amazed at what you learn.
I'm pretty good at keeping a poker face when I want during the times I'm observing. But there are times, when others will know that I am happy or upset or I disapprove of something. For the past month, I have been playing a scene over in my mind that I was subjected to at the May junior rodeo. The scene was of a father who apparently was not happy with his son's chute dogging. Right in front of me and any one walking by, the father began talking down to his son in a very high pitched voice. A noise that would have called the neighborhood dogs in. Think of fingernails across a blackboard; it was that bad. All I kept hearing was "What did you think you were doing?" and "I could have taken that steer down", and "You didn't have your head in the game." Let's just say, I removed my poker face and put on my face of disapproval. It did not take long for that father to shut his mouth and help his son gather up his gear and leave.
This man was talking to his ten year old son. Yes, the father could have taken down the 300 pound steer. But, I give the kid credit for climbing into a chute with a 300 pound steer and wrapping his arms around it's neck and walking him out to the line and trying to throw him off his feet without losing his grip. Not many ten year old boys will do this. Not many grown adult men will do this. When I think about the scene, all I remember was the little boy standing with his head down ~ ashamed. I wonder if he was ashamed of his competition or if he was ashamed of how his father was talking to him; I may never know.
I do know this, as parents if we want to ruin our relationship with our children, be a discouraging parent to them - let all the world hear you behave like a spoiled brat! Let your child hear rude, negative comments about something that they have done. Compare them with others. Don't talk to them like they are a human. Teach them they must never lose at something. Teach them they are better than everyone else.
The above photo was taken last summer; it is one of my favorites that my husband took. A father kindly explaining the ins and outs of roping.
If you want to have a relationship with your children, where they can come talk to you about anything... I mean ANYTHING - let your child talk before butting in and cutting them off with an astounding NO. Listen to their reasoning. Be constructive in your criticism. Take the time to personally show your children how to do something. Yes, they make simple mistakes that keep them from moving forward; who doesn't, we are human. When all does not go as planned, put your arms around them and tell them you love them and everything is going to be okay. ~ Let others know you are an encouraging parent by your actions.
I want my son to look back on his youth and say, "My parents were encouragers."
The above photo was taken last summer; it is one of my favorites that my husband took. A father kindly explaining the ins and outs of roping.
Planning Ahead Part 2
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I mentioned in THIS post about our choice in AIG's God's Design for Life set. Today, I want to explain how I came to this decision for this set. Hopefully, this won't become a long book.
I am a planner. Even if I "plan" something and it never happens I like to have a safety net for a just in case situtation. This safety net is even with our curriculum. For me, I keep in the back of my mind, the possibility that our son could have to go back to a brick and mortar school. Because of this, I try to keep him as close to "grade level" without holding him back in work. For example, I don't want my 7th grader skipping all the way to calculus in math while working on 10th grade level English and Literature and 7th grade history and geography. You get the idea. If this should happen, I really don't want Jamie having to make up any missed courses nor do I want him to be so far ahead that we have to fight to keep from putting him back to what the school thinks as "appropriate" grade level. Clear as mud?
The easiest way for me to do this was to go over to the Abeka website and look at their SCOPE AND SEQUENCE for seventh grade. I made a list of everything that is taught and compared it with the God's Design sets. Why did I choose Abeka to compare the books? Well, in this area all the Christian schools use this curriculum. Secondly, transition into a public school curriculum will be easier since the PS are not as advanced. Thirdly,Abeka meets the standards for the achievement testing that is required for our state.
Hopefully within the next day or so I will have decided on which History curriculum to use, so I can share a complete list of our curriculum for 2012-2013.
I am a planner. Even if I "plan" something and it never happens I like to have a safety net for a just in case situtation. This safety net is even with our curriculum. For me, I keep in the back of my mind, the possibility that our son could have to go back to a brick and mortar school. Because of this, I try to keep him as close to "grade level" without holding him back in work. For example, I don't want my 7th grader skipping all the way to calculus in math while working on 10th grade level English and Literature and 7th grade history and geography. You get the idea. If this should happen, I really don't want Jamie having to make up any missed courses nor do I want him to be so far ahead that we have to fight to keep from putting him back to what the school thinks as "appropriate" grade level. Clear as mud?
The easiest way for me to do this was to go over to the Abeka website and look at their SCOPE AND SEQUENCE for seventh grade. I made a list of everything that is taught and compared it with the God's Design sets. Why did I choose Abeka to compare the books? Well, in this area all the Christian schools use this curriculum. Secondly, transition into a public school curriculum will be easier since the PS are not as advanced. Thirdly,Abeka meets the standards for the achievement testing that is required for our state.
Hopefully within the next day or so I will have decided on which History curriculum to use, so I can share a complete list of our curriculum for 2012-2013.
Planning Ahead
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I am so excited about the coming school year. Since the co-op that we were going to join, closed; I have been doing some research on a Science and History curriculum. Along with those, I've been "planning ahead". I can't believe that within 2 years my son will be in the ninth grade. I'm a little lot floored! I'm also looking across the board at what he is going to need to graduate. Talk about butterflies in the tummy! We've even talked about trying to double up and finish a year early. This is still a possibility, but he is going to have to REALLY want to do this for it to work and it is going to have to be started this coming school year. Another thing we've talked about is doing some classes (foreign language) online through the Georgia Virtual School; definitely something that we are thinking about.
We are making some changes in our Science curriculum after doing a little nosing around. I highly recommend a Christian family to do a thorough research on the Biblical stance that a company/author/publisher gives. Once you find their statement be a little more aggressive in researching everything you can about them. We try to not support groups, businesses, etc. that don't believe the same way we do, nor do we support businesses in our community that fund organizations that do everything they can to tear the Bible and the church down. This is something that has really bothered me over the last couple of years. I began my research after reading this ARTICLE on homeschool curriculum. (We don't necessarily agree with everything this man teaches, but the article is something that we do agree with.) One of the "companies" that he has listed, we bought from for several years because they offered another company's curriculum items that we used at a cheaper rate. Once I began thinking how my money was helping support their beliefs, we stopped buying from them.
In our home, we teach our son he is not to back down on his beliefs, nor should he allow others to "push" him around. He is also taught to not be wishy washy in his thinking and speaking. If he is willing to believe one way, then he needs to take a stand for it ~ no matter what. This way of thinking and teaching had to do with a lot of the curriculum that we chose for Science for this coming school year.
For the past couple of years, I wanted to buy from Answers In Genesis, but I was always afraid of the cost. Yeah, I'm one of those moms who try to spend as little as possible on curriculum. But, within the last year or so, I have seen how the money has been supplied for us to move away from other curricula, so we can have a curriculum that is written for our beliefs, without going with a "big box" curriculum.
As for our history, I'm still looking at a couple. I am leaning more towards one, since they have a two year American History that can be taught this year and next, but they don't have the history courses that are needed for our high school requirements. I just want to find something, that we will be able to stick with and not have to bounce around again. ~ A never ending story, I tell ya!
There is more to tell about how I chose the God's Design for Life set of books. Once I send Jamie off to his day of Farm touring and Fishing Rodeo with 4H tomorrow, I'll be able to explain it.
I'd like to learn mor about how others choose their curriculum, so please leave me a comment and let me know.
We are making some changes in our Science curriculum after doing a little nosing around. I highly recommend a Christian family to do a thorough research on the Biblical stance that a company/author/publisher gives. Once you find their statement be a little more aggressive in researching everything you can about them. We try to not support groups, businesses, etc. that don't believe the same way we do, nor do we support businesses in our community that fund organizations that do everything they can to tear the Bible and the church down. This is something that has really bothered me over the last couple of years. I began my research after reading this ARTICLE on homeschool curriculum. (We don't necessarily agree with everything this man teaches, but the article is something that we do agree with.) One of the "companies" that he has listed, we bought from for several years because they offered another company's curriculum items that we used at a cheaper rate. Once I began thinking how my money was helping support their beliefs, we stopped buying from them.
In our home, we teach our son he is not to back down on his beliefs, nor should he allow others to "push" him around. He is also taught to not be wishy washy in his thinking and speaking. If he is willing to believe one way, then he needs to take a stand for it ~ no matter what. This way of thinking and teaching had to do with a lot of the curriculum that we chose for Science for this coming school year.
For the past couple of years, I wanted to buy from Answers In Genesis, but I was always afraid of the cost. Yeah, I'm one of those moms who try to spend as little as possible on curriculum. But, within the last year or so, I have seen how the money has been supplied for us to move away from other curricula, so we can have a curriculum that is written for our beliefs, without going with a "big box" curriculum.
As for our history, I'm still looking at a couple. I am leaning more towards one, since they have a two year American History that can be taught this year and next, but they don't have the history courses that are needed for our high school requirements. I just want to find something, that we will be able to stick with and not have to bounce around again. ~ A never ending story, I tell ya!
There is more to tell about how I chose the God's Design for Life set of books. Once I send Jamie off to his day of Farm touring and Fishing Rodeo with 4H tomorrow, I'll be able to explain it.
I'd like to learn mor about how others choose their curriculum, so please leave me a comment and let me know.
