Fun!

Homeschool for 2010-2011

I thought it would be helpful to post what we are doing in our home-school this year. I have had some of you ask what we use, and it will help me to see it all written out! So here goes:

Everyone:
Art: Artistic Pursuits
Artist Study: 4 different artists during the year
Composer Study: 4 different composers during the year
Poetry: 4 different poets during the year
Hymn Study: a new hymn every week or so
Nature Study: aiming for one a week (hikes at Giant City State Park and on our property)
Illinois History
Character Traits
Scripture Memory
Skip Counting
Geography Songs
Read Alouds: currently reading Great Expectations

Bennett (10th grade):
Science: Apologia Biology
Math: Math U See: pre algebra and algebra
Logic
History: Veritas Press Omnibus
Theology: Veritas Press Omnibus
Literature:Veritas Press Ominibus
Writing: Veritas Press Omnibus
French: The Easy French

Sam (8th grade):
Science: Apologia Biology
Math: Math U See- Zeta
Spelling: Christian Liberty Press 8
History: Veritas Press Omnibus
Theology: Veritas Press Omnibus
Literature:Veritas Press Ominibus
Writing: Veritas Press Omnibus
French: The Easy French

Emmie (3rd grade):
Science: Apologia Zoology 2 Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day
Math: Math U See- Gamma
Spelling: Christian Liberty Press 2
Copywork: copying character traits
Handwriting: Classically Cursive
History: Veritas Press- Greece and Rome
Bible: Veritas Press- Judges- Kings
Grammar: Simply Grammar
Literature: Veritas Press reading list
Latin: Latin For Children Primer A
French: The Easy French

Clear Creek On Mission

Wanderings

Some random pictures of my wanderings..

I go to Weaver's Country Market at least once a week. It is owned and run by a Mennonite family, and all of their goods are natural and yummy! I get eggs, butter, cheese, bread, and whatever goodies we want for the week.

You can tell a Mennonite home around here, because
they all have scripture placed at their mailbox.

This is the tombstone for King Neptune, the mascot pig for the navy in the 40s. I kid you not- he has his own turnout on the highway and everything!
Google him if you want the story!

Midnight marauders enjoying the dog food on the back porch!

The last of the season's color!

This was the scene a few miles up the road- how cute is this? I wonder what the story is and who got engaged! I have been tempted to stop in and ask!!

How Can a Church Build Strong Families?

By: Scott Brown

Here is the bottom line: You cannot minister to the weak families unless you have strong families. Strong families are dependent upon obedient men and holy women. If we never have healthy families, then we will never have healthy churches.

The following six things are biblically mandated elements of church and family life. Each one can help to foster healthy family life, and ultimately strong churches.

1. Provide biblically qualified elders

When a church establishes biblically qualified elders who manage their households well (1 Timothy 3), they are providing for long term social change. As these men lead by example, the whole church begins to understand how a biblically ordered family functions.

2. Encourage biblical headship in the home

How do you define a broken family? It starts with the role of the head of the house. Families are broken by men and women who do not fulfill their God ordained roles. If the church ever hopes to minister to broken families, it must start by going back to scripture to find how men should be spiritual leaders in their homes. We need to be about the business of equipping men for biblical manhood.

Who will minister to the lost youth of this generation? Families and churches must reach out to preach the gospel and teach all that Christ commanded.

3. Stop creating weak families through your programs

We believe that the modern church has missed the mark by doing things that keep families weak. The church has not maintained biblical priorities for family life. When we do this, we end up withholding adequate role models or worse, we have no good role models for our weak families. If you want to build strong families you have to stop creating weak families by maintaining unbiblical, family weakening practices. Until this changes in a church, families will remain weak and broken.

4. Make the church a true family

You must give broken families a biblical church family that exemplifies Christ’s love for the church. It is in a healthy church family that people with broken families learn something they did not know before – how to be a family (Mark 10:30).

5. Provide for the lifestyle of Titus 2 women in the church

Titus 2 gives a picture of women in strong families ministering to young families. When you promote Titus 2 women who will instruct the younger women you have provided a key component to church and family life that generates strong women and strong families. If you do not encourage women to be holy keepers at home you will never be able to have strong families. This is a culture defying act but it must be done because it is a key component to biblical Christianity.

6. Provide intergenerational worship and education

Families are strengthened by participation in biblical discipleship methodology that is intergenerational. This is the only pattern that we find in Scripture. There is no such thing as age specific ministry in the Bible. It needs to be admitted that putting thirteen year olds with thirteen year olds is a very foolish and unscriptural practice. Until churches change this and similar practices, the vicious cycle of decline will continue.

Two critical issues need to be addressed. First, refusing to give priority to making strong families in our churches ensures that we will always be calling people to weakness.

Second, neglecting the biblical directives for family life rejects the major biblical methods for ministry to youth.

Our failure to obey the word of God in ministry to youth is of enormous significance for the prosperity of the church. At this time, as we continue many unbiblical practices, we are systematically sending our young people on the path of destruction. It is fracturing our families. It is corrupting our churches. It is destroying the next generation.

If we ever expect to see change, it is important to stop doing the things that make for weak families and start practicing the things that strengthen them.

I am, I can, I ought, I will

Started the school week off with a reminder of our school motto (actually Charlotte Mason's school motto- but why change a great thing!)

I am: a precious creation of the Father. I am here because He wanted me here and He loves me infinitely.

I can: because He will give me what I need to do it! He has gifted me in so many areas the least of these being in every spiritual blessing.

I ought: because I am His and He has given me the abilities, I owe my allegiance and duty to Him to do my very best.

I will: I will choose to do the best I can, because I know that all opportunities put in from of me are from Him and I will honor Him with my obedience and best effort glorifying Him in all that I do.

Set Free

There is no beauty within me- just scratchiness, barbs, sharp, scared. Fear of disappointing, fear of not getting well, fear of making a fool of myself, fear that another friend will leave me, fear that my friend was right in leaving me, fear that my family will leave me too. I long for Beauty. Calm. Peace. Love. I long to look into my Savior’s face every day and feel his love, to know that He approves, that I haven’t disappointed Him again. My heart aches to be a gentle person, to be serene, to laugh at the days to come, to lead my children down that path as well. That they should never hear another harsh word, that I would govern and discipline with love and soft words.

Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

Joy should abound in hearts set free by grace. Joy should be the root of all that we do and say- the fruit of our intake of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Knowing this and doing this are two separate things. Where insecurities cling, a heart is not made free. They’re always there- pushing back on the good. Stealing the peace.

Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;let them ever sing for joy,and spread your protection over them,that those who love your name may exult in you.

I determine to fill this heart with words from His heart. A balm to my weary and tired soul. To fill it with beautiful thoughts, and dreams. To see the wondrous love in my life. To banish all thoughts of insecurity. To know that they were not right. Had no right. That “He is jealous for me”. That I am made new over and over again. And “Oh, how He loves me.” To be beautiful from within offering the gift of grace and mercy and love through a life well lived and well loved.

Deuteronomy 10:12
"And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? ¹⁴Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. ¹⁵Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. ¹⁶Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. ¹⁷For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. ¹⁸He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. ¹⁹Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. ²⁰ You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. ²¹ He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. ²²Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven.

Set Free