Our First Day of Faith Christian Academy 2013-2014!

Our first day of Faith Christian Academy went wonderful! I praise God for an amazing day and how we got everything done that we had planned.  My day began in the Word and then as the kids got up we made some breakfast.  We took the ceremonial first day pictures and then, together, we prayed for God to guide our steps this year as we seek to honor and glorify Him.

The ONLY way to begin my day!

Louie overseeing operations! lol!

Our school uniforms were our pajamas, shoes were optional, and our big golden retriever, Louie, kept a close watch and made sure everyone stayed on task. Actually, he slept most of the time but he did wake up if anyone neared the kitchen as he eagerly awaited a treat. Our classroom was the living room and, yes, in that one classroom was 4^th grade, 7^th grade, and 11^th grade.  Caleb donned his reading glasses and was ready to go. Oh my mercy, he really doesn’t have reading glasses but found these very dapper plastic fake ones that he thinks makes him look extremely smart. Ben really wanted to add white tape to the bridge and call him a “nerd” but I discouraged that, as it probably would have not been the best way to start day 1.

No words.....

Caleb has had a little “back to school” anxiety for the last few years and today was no different. As we got ready to begin, the tears were welling up in his eyes. Now, Caleb is an incredibly happy child and loves to learn, but he sure hates giving up his summer for hitting the books again. (But then again, who doesn’t?) It usually takes a couple of days to get the “back to school” blues behind us but as he got into his new curriculum, he actually started laughing and telling me how “cool” it was! Lol! He even began lecturing me on all he was learning about his Bible lesson as Peter met Jesus. You know, maybe those glasses helped after all! Lol!  Finding his niche was something we have been praying about as far as school is concerned and hopefully this will work great for him this year.

We have a number of different curriculums we are using this year for the kids.  When homeschooling, choosing curriculum can be very overwhelming. There is so much out there and finding what will work for your kids can be a little of trial and error. Though last year went well, we knew that we had to find things that worked better for each one of them. We don’t want to just sit and do worksheets all day. We want them to enjoy learning and get the most out of it. This year, Caleb will be using a curriculum that is computerized. As he goes through each subject, there are games, videos, and other fun activities that go along with it. No textbooks! As he opens his home screen, there is a daily Bible verse, word of the day, fun facts from that day in history and much more. He was fascinated with his History lesson and learning about maps! I do believe he will now be our little GPS on every road trip. Haha! Now, if you are wondering if he ever writes anything since it all computerized, the answer is “yes”.  He still has handwriting and many other things to get plenty of writing in and we incorporate writing scripture as well.  The thing that he loves is that it is not all worksheets.

Homeschool in action!

Callie is using a different curriculum for every subject. She is doing Pre-Algebra this year which is computer based, Science is traditional textbook, English, she will be doing along with Ben by on online class. They log on every Thursday as their teacher teaches live by webinar and then they do their assignments during the week. Their teacher is available through email for questions and all their assignments are scanned in to her and she grades them. Vocab will be a new course as well. For Bible, Callie is using a Bible study that she picked out and her History and electives will be taken at WCA. In addition to regular classes, she will also be doing a number of “life skills” that we feel are important do learn. She is a JV cheerleader at WCA and will be volunteering in the church nursery as soon as she turns 13.

Ben has entered his junior year and we are excited about his lineup this year! He will be taking a computerized Chemistry course, English is online with Callie, and for Math this year he is taking Dave Ramsey’s financial course for high schoolers. We know the importance of kids learning basic financial lessons before they are thrust into the real world. He will also be doing Vocab and a Bible study that he has chosen. His History class and electives will be taken at WCA. He will play varsity basketball at WCA and will continue to teach a small group in church every Sunday morning. He is also looking for a part-time job, which we have found very hard to come by.

Ben, deep in thought!

After we finished our school day, we headed off to the big town of Burgaw to the library. They are all equipped with a new book (or 2) to read and learn.

What a great day! I enjoy seeing my kids work together and help each other! They really are an amazing group of kids and I praise God for each one of them! Our year is off to a great start and we look forward to all God has in store!

“You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.”

Psalm 65:11

 

My blessings!

~ A Botched Batch of Cookies ~

I love seeing the changes Callie is going through from little girl to young woman. At 12 years of age, she still loves to hold my hand when we are out and about and play teacher in her pretend school but then moments later she will be asking me how to apply eye makeup or which necklace should she wear with her outfit. I love her sweet innocence but also how she is developing into a godly young woman.

As we have our new school year planned and ready for commencement tomorrow morning, part of Callie’s curriculum is good old-fashioned “Home Ec”. She will be required to plan and prepare one family dinner a week in our home.  In looking over recipe books and getting excited, today, she decided to make a cookie recipe out of my Grannie’s cookbook. This is a recipe we usually only make on our annual “Christmas Cookie Day” but she decided that we needed to make it a summer thing too. Haha! Callie is a great little chef and does an amazing job! I left her alone to bake and came downstairs just after she put them into the oven. When I took a peek inside, all the cookies had run together and it looked like pure liquid on the pan. Yikes!

I asked Callie if she had followed the directions and she immediately said, “Yes”. As I went over the recipe with her, she realized that she only put in ¼ cup of flour instead of the 2-¼ cups it called for. She was heartbroken that she messed up.  At that moment she wanted to give up and felt defeated.  But as her mom, I wanted her to see that we all make mistakes and the only way we learn is to do it again and follow the directions.  After all, she has eaten my cooking for years and it is definitely not all success. Lol! It was a hard teachable moment for Callie. She didn’t want to do it again but through a few tears she persevered and put the second batch in the oven. When the cookies came out beautiful and completed, she felt proud. She saw that mistakes can be corrected and beautiful things can come out of it. What a precious moment that was! I hugged her tightly and told her how proud I am of the young woman she is becoming. Though it is hard, God will see her through and her mom will be there to guide her… always with a hug!

I know that a story about a botched job of cookies probably isn’t exactly what most would consider a teachable moment, but I pray that every moment in our home is a teachable one. I want God to grow us closer to him through all our mistakes and successes.

As I went through this time with Callie today, I was able to share with her how God has taken my many mistakes and drawn me closer to him. Though at times I wanted to throw my hands up and quit, He guided me to persevere so I could learn and grow. My Heavenly Father comforts me and shows me through His Word just how much He loves me and how proud He is of me….just as I am of my sweet Callie!

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

1 John 3:1

The finished product!

Caleb aka "Iron Man" approves!

~ Loving the Cooler Weather ~

Enjoying this amazing weather on my front porch this morning! I even had to put my fuzzy slippers on my feet because of the cooler temperature. Now, that is not a complaint at all. I am a cooler weather kind of girl. Yes, I know, I live at the beach, and yes, it gets ridiculously hot here in the summer. But I don't care for that. When you walk out the door freshly groomed in the early morning hours and your makeup immediately begins to melt off your face and your hair has to have several anti-humidity products in it just to try and combat the 100% humidity, well...that's not what I call FUN. Lol!

I love these temperatures that we are experiencing this morning! It's pleasant!

This morning I sit and read the pages of my favorite book and praise God for His presence and purpose!

Over and over again this summer, I have seen his incredible attention to every detail of my life, both personally and professionally. He doesn't just give me direction and let me go, He carefully guides me by the hand and comforts me every step of the way. He is amazing God!

I can honestly say that I don't have it all together and many days I am a total mess. But my God, my Abba Father, takes this girl, with all her mess, and picks her up, hugs her tightly, and begins to turn her mess into a beautiful message of His divine sovereignty and grace. O, how I love my Father!

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."

Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

I praise Him today! I praise Him for the messy! I praise Him in times of waiting! I praise Him for his constant presence! I praise Him for his amazing grace!

Today, I make the final preparations to begin our first full year of homeschooling on Monday at Faith Christian Academy. It is truly a walk of faith! I am excited! The butterflies are fluttering around in my stomach! I anticipate great things from our God this year! I look forward to more time with my children, even while working part time. I look forward to life skills they will learn. I look forward to seeing them grow academically. I look forward to our times together in the Word! We will walk in faith!

Will there be bumps along the way? Of this I am certain! But we keep our eyes not on the rocky terrain but on the One who will carry us through.

"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always."

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV)

~ Following God's Well Planned Day ~

So, this week I have really tried to take some time off work before summer is officially over and the school bells begin to ring again. I only went in to the office twice and one of those times was for only 45 minutes. Though my email, phone, and texts are still "blowing up" at all times of the day and night, at least I've been able to handle those from my home. Lol! I've tried to sleep in late (you know 6:30-7:00), manage our business at home, and spend some time with my kids. It actually has turned into a very busy week! Haha!

I sit here on my quiet front porch this morning, blessed beyond measure. Beginning my day, every day, with my Lord is a necessity! His Word keeps me grounded, our conversation keeps me centered on Him, and His undivided attention is what this girl needs! Sweet time with my Daddy!

Today, I move forward in His strength and finish our planning and prep for our new school year. Ben and Callie scheduled their part time classes at WCA on Wednesday and I did the "meet and greet" mom's meeting for their online English class yesterday. I'm so excited about this year! Though we are not, by any means, "traditional", we will keep our eyes on Christ as the leader of this family. We answer to Him, follow His lead, and we give Him praise!

"But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”

Joshua 24:15b (NLT)

Please keep us in your prayers! First of all, that all we do will be honoring before the Lord. That is our heart's cry. And also that we will continue to seek The Lord in each area of our lives, home, school, and work! God has given us direction and we intend to follow it. Though it won't be easy at times and trials will emerge, we will trek on in His goodness and grace.

A verse that has been on my heart this summer is this:

"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21 (NIV)

Lord, keep my ears open to hear your voice and give me the strength and courage to walk in your truth! Always and forevermore! Amen!

~ Happy 17th Birthday Ben ~

Ben, I cannot believe you are 17! It seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms praising God for this sweet miracle of life that was you. Now, 17 years later I am still praising God for the amazing miracle of life that is YOU!

You were the one that blessed me with the title of "Mom" but the blessings of you far outweigh anything I could ever put into words. You are a wonderful young man and watching you grow has been an absolute blessing to your dad and me. Though you about did me in during your toddler years, you have since made up for it. Lol!

Ben, on this day, your 17th birthday, I just want to tell you how much I love you and how proud I am of you! I cannot wait to see all that God has for you in your future. Keep your eyes on Christ, cling to His Word, and God will continue to use you in a mighty way!

Happy 17th Birthday, Ben!

I love you,

Mom

~ Morning Prayer Walk & Starbucks ~

A morning prayer walk & Starbucks to begin a day of planning for our new year of Faith Christian Academy!

God never ceases to amaze me, when I'm feeling inadequate, to remind me that if He has called me to it, then He will equip me through it.

"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

In all honesty, I'm so excited about our new year of homeschooling! We have prayed through our decision and know that's what we are called to do. Scary as it seems sometimes but God is so faithful to whisper sweet encouragement to us.

We began our homeschool prayer & planning retreat yesterday at a teacher store here in Myrtle Beach. What fun! Callie's was in awe when she walked in! That is every 12-year-old girl's dream store if she loves to play school at home. Chalk, notepads, stickers, stamps, posters, etc...everything imaginable. Haha!

We found a new great math game for Caleb and Callie is so excited about stepping up a little more in helping him this year. Ben too is ready for the task of tutoring Callie through Pre-Algebra. (Which I am extremely happy about!)

You know, many times my feelings of inadequacy have come from our very untraditional approach to homeschooling since I still work part time. But then the days come when God sends those priceless reminders of His grace that sees us through. When I drop the kids off at my mom's in the early morning and she greets them at the door, coffee in hand, with a big smile and hug, ready to oversee their day, that's a reminder. When Caleb shares his excitement as he was able to read several pages better with Granny that day than the day before, that's a reminder. When Callie tells me how she kept Caleb on task and learned a new recipe from helping Granny, that's a reminder. When Ben pitches in and helps the other two stay organized and drives he & Callie to WCA for their afternoon classes, that's a reminder. When I get to share time with them after work going over their day and preparing for the next, that's a reminder!

It's in those moments when I bow my head and praise God for this new adventure! Though I don't have all the answers, He reminds me that I'm not supposed to....He does and I just need to trust Him to guide me. There will be times of tweaking things that don't necessarily work like we hoped or things that will just flat out bust sometimes but God will pick me up and redirect our path. Life lessons are inevitable and I thank him for it!

Since we began the homeschool adventure last January, I've been more blessed by my kids than ever. They have worked hard and helped each other, they have shared many precious hours with their Granny learning lessons that they could never get in any school, and we have grown so much as a family.

Today, I'm so thankful! I praise God for the journey, the failures and successes to come, and the lessons we will learn all along the way!

To God be the glory!

"You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance."

Psalms 65:11 (NKJV)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)