Melissa Culver's School Daze

Foam Christmas Ornaments (B&B)

2011-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Need to spruce up your tree with something new this year? Try these quick, easy, and inexpensive ornaments:

You will need:
to head over to this fabulous blog to find out more. B'Twixt and B'Tween is all about discipleship. Discipling your daughter/s that is. Shelley has featured my post there--the one explaining how to do these fabulous ornaments. Leave a comment here or there, please. Let us know what you think.

Google Search Terms: ornament, ornaments, Christmas ornaments, holiday crafts, easy holiday crafts, inexpensive holiday crafts, kid-friendly holiday crafts, foam

Homemade Nativity Set

2011-11-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for an inexpensive, homemade nativity set? Well, see if this fits your budget:
(Click on images to view larger. I think you'll get redirected to a slideshow, actually. Close out slideshow to return here.)

Don't forget to enjoy some lovely Christmas music and some hot chocolate when you're done.

Joyfully,
Humbly,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, nativity set, free, inexpensive, homemade, Christmas, nativity, craft, homeschool, art project

Slowing Down

2011-11-14T02:49:00.000-08:00

Friends,
This has been a long and beautiful journey. It all started back in February of 2010. It has been nearly two years now that I have been sharing my heart and my home with you. I have thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

As I look forward at the horizon I see new ministry needs and new opportunities. When I recognize my limitations and the needs of my family I truly believe that limiting my activity here is best. What is going on here is good, for sure. But, I know that He has called me to glorify Him with was is excellent.

Tithe. For example, OT giving was the best animal or the best of the harvest and it was the first portion and never the last. I too must be discerning with my time and my talents and my ministry opportunities. What is best and what is first?

So, I will be serving at home, in the church, and locally more than I have the last few years--in different ways.

For now, I plan to leave everything up. There are some really cool things here. I know that I use this as a reference tool often. I share links with others. I come back and peruse things--like a yearbook or a photo album. My kids enjoy looking at the various things we have done together. Reflection is good--and revealing.

Expect one more post in December. Shelley Noonan over at B'Twixt and B'Tween is showcasing a Christmas craft and it will post here live. I don't want you to miss out on that fun, family craft. But, beyond that...I don't plan on visiting here much.

Humbly, imperfectly,
For the King,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, farewell

Homeschool SOS

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Historically, November is a challenging month for me academically. Even when I was a full-time educator I found November to be challenging. It was all I could do to get to Thanksgiving Break. I pushed hard and knew that a small break was just around the corner.

As a homeschool mom I can establish breaks whenever we need them—and yet I’m fully aware that I need to meet the calendar requirements by the end of the academic year.

Maybe you are nearing the end of your rope and you are needing a rescue team to come and save you from the chaos that buffets. Dear one, here are words I have lived by again and again. Maybe they will bring you hope if you are out in the torrent buffeted by the waves of doubt.

Plans. I’m a planner. I like my calendar organized. Sometimes future planning overwhelms me. Sometimes I bow down and worship the god of Control. Such an ugly god. So worthless. And I need to rest in the tranquil comfort of these words, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds the m. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:25-27). I need to rest in the miraculous grace-filled authorship of God’s mater plan and trust in His ways—always.

Expectations. I set expectations that are way too high, sometimes—for myself mostly. I can give you a laundry list of excuses why, but the real reason takes me to the root of the issue. It’s idolatry again: name-advancing glory. It’s just as filthy as that last idol. When my expectations are too high it’s because I want my name advanced for my glory. I can falsely claim that the real reason is godliness or holiness or obedience or humility, but let’s be honest: it’s not.

Faulty thinking. Are you ever bombarded with faulty thinking? I wrestle with faulty thinking a lot. Any motivation that is rooted in man-pleasing is faulty thinking. I want my kids to excel academically. Sure that’s a legitimate goal in life, but if my motivation is to please man then I am bowing down and worshiping the opinion of others.
          I just read a biography on Walt Disney. Early in life his teachers criticized his drawings. Aren’t we glad he didn’t listen to them for long? Benjamin Franklin’s father wanted him to eventually take on the family trade: selling soap and candles. Can you fathom all the inventions we would not have today if he had not followed his passion to explore (swimming flippers, the iron stove with an exhaust pipe, explorations in electricity, bifocal glasses, the first hospital, the first lending library, the first fire department, a revamped mail delivery system, and the list goes on)?
          First Corinthians 10:31 says “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Ultimately, I am to please God in the smallest details of my life and the large. Dear one, I was not designed to worship man’s opinion and neither were you.

Reality. The dishes still need to be done. Laundry still piles up. The lawn still needs to be mowed. Insurance is due. Toilet paper runs out. Children disobey and fight and push boundaries. Flu season sets in. This is life. Job 1 shows us the dialogue between Satan and God. We can rest in the fact that God’s authorship is always in control. He is sovereignty working out every detail of our lives to bring Himself glory. Cancer? Chipped tooth? Lost job? Missing dog? Car accident? All of it has the hand-stamped approval of God Himself. You can read more about the power of God's awesome plans here: Job 38-42, Psalm 139 and Daniel 4:34-35.

Overwhelmed. In the complicated messiness of living, things—at times—stack up all at once. Aunt Thelma ends up in the hospital. Taxes are due. Johnny busts a tooth. Ministry demands get thicker than anticipated. The business needs to cut back on salaries. And homeschooling must still go on. So, when life stacks up on you, what do you do? Where do you go? What do you turn to? Who do you turn to? Food? Social networking sites? Friends? Television? Online computer games? Complaining? Fear? The Bible? Prayer? Your knees?

Psalm 42:5-6
   Why are you downcast, O my soul?
   Why so disturbed within me?
   Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.
   My soul is downcast within me;
   therefore I will remember you
   from the land of the Jordan,
   the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. (Emphasis mine.)

David’s words: hope, praise and remember.

Friend, let me close with this exhortation:
1. Follow David’s example: pour out your heart to the One who made you.

2. Let go of the faulty way of thinking. Set your mind on things above. Put your hope in Him (Ephesians 4:22-32). And if you uncover sin in the process, go right ahead and share that with Him. He is faithful to cleans us of all unrighteousness when we confess it to Him. His blood is enough.

3. Maybe rest is what you need. What happened when Elijah wanted to die? The Lord sent an angel who fed him and gave him rest. And then he fed him and gave him more rest (1 Kings 19:3-7). Rest. Beloved, rest. God rested; read Genesis. Christ got away from ministry. He left busy areas and people in need (Matthew 15:39). He was alone with the Father (Matthew 26:36). Alone. You too are called to be alone with the Father. We are called to be alone with the Father.

4. Dear one, go right ahead and readjust your sail if needed. Establish a new direction, create a new vision. If the last set of plans wore you out and left you hopeless then go back to the drawing board and find a new way of doing things.

5. Put on a garment of praise. Praise Him, beloved. He is worthy of your praise. He is worthy. I doubt your suffering is anything like what Paul and Silas suffered when they were flogged and thrown into jail. Yet, what was their response? They were singing and praising God (Acts 16:22-25). Beaten, bruised, hurting, alone. And they praised God. They worshiped Him. Dear one, such a beautiful worship.

Humbly, imperfectly, sweetly,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, homeschool blog, encouragement, I don't want to homeschool anymore, discouraged, overwhelmed, give up, hopeless, done

Make It Longer

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Is it hard to find fashionable clothes for your tweenager that meet your standards of modesty? Does it get even harder when you are working with 50% hand-me-downs? We're in that boat. So, here's what we do: we modify things. We get out scissors and pull out the sewing machine and we make the free stuff work for us. Take this piece for example:

(Click on any images to view larger.
Click "back" on your browser to return here.)

Today, I'm featured on B'Twix & B'Tween. You'll find all the details for this sewing project there.

What is B'Twix & B'Tween about? Shelley Noonan encourages women to disciple their girls. I found her testimony on The Homeschool Channel and loved it..

Come on over and check out some at-home discipleship tips. They are designed to assist you in caring for your daughter's heart--for eternity.

Happy mending,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, homeschool blog, crafting project, homemade, sewing project, tweenager

Fashionable Whiteboards

2011-10-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today's post is featured on B'Twix & B'Tween. There you can find all the details on how to turn an ordinary frame into a fabulous whiteboard.

Humbly,

Google Search Terms: whiteboard, fabric, frame, fashionable, style, homeschool solutions, homemade, Melissa Culver, School Daze

Just Like Eve

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Genesis 3:1-13

¹ Now the serpent
was more crafty
than any
of the wild animals
the LORD God had made.
He said to the woman,
“Did God really say,
‘You must not eat from
any tree in the garden’?”
² The woman said
to the serpent, “
We may eat fruit from the
trees in the garden,
³ but God did say,
‘You must not eat fruit
from the tree
that is in the middle
of the garden,
and you must not touch it,
or you will die.’”
⁴ “You will not surely die,”
the serpent said to the woman.
⁵ “For God knows that when you eat of it
your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil.”
⁶ When the woman saw
that the fruit of the tree
was good for food and pleasing to the eye,
and also desirable for gaining wisdom,
she took some and ate it.
She also gave some to her husband,
who was with her,
and he ate it.

⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened,
and they realized they were naked;
so they sewed fig leaves together
and made coverings for themselves.
⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God
as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day,
and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden,
and I was afraid
because I was naked; so I hid.”
¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked?
Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit
from the tree,
and I ate it.”
¹³ Then the LORD God said to the woman,
“What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

I am just like Eve:
1. Listening to lies.
2. Doubting God.
3. Twisting His Words.
4. Looking at sin long enough to see if it is pleasing and desirable.
5. Wanting to be like God--in a self-glorifying fashion.
6. Partaking of sin.
7. Sharing it with others.
8. Hiding from God (avoiding worship, avoiding The Bible, avoiding correction).
9. Blaming others.
10. Making excuses.
11. Living in the consequences.
12. The blood was spilled for me.
13. A recipient of His unbelievable grace.

From time to time I encounter people who are confused by the authorship of God in that He chose Eve to be the first woman. This is their claim: "He knew she would take of the tree and eat." I simply tell them this: "It would have been me. Eventually I would have reached up there to take it. I would have shared it. I would have made coverings. I would have hid. I would have blamed and made excuses."

Friend, what fruit is seducing you these days? Name? Power? Acceptance? Money? Security? Control? Praise? Order? Popularity? Do you want to be worshiped? Adored? Loved? Are you irritated with the circumstances that God has foreordained for you? Are you bitter that His plans included this? Are you coveting what others have? Do you want more? Less? Better? What you had last week? Last year? Are you making God smaller in your mind because He isn't as good as you define good--your standards, your perspective, your ideas?

I encourage you to seek Truth in His Word and I encourage you to be eternally transformed by His sufficiency. His power. His plans. His ways. His design. His beauty. His grace. His love. His peace. His mercy.

If this applies to you, have you thought about confessing this/these sin/sins to Him? How about repentance? Why not now? Beloved, I encourage you to seek His face.

May He alone satisfy--you. Always.

More in need of Him every day,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, devotional, Eve, sin, the fruit, Adam, seek Him, repentance, mercy, grace, love, help

Wanting More of Him

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Friends, at times I think my blog can leave you with the impression that my world is tidy, neat, put-together, and well-maintained. I hope you can see through that to realize that I am just flat normal. I have up days, I have down days, I have days that don't go my way at all. Normal. Very normal.

For example, last week my seven-year-old had a challenging day. He got distracted with LEGO's at 7:45 am and failed to get ready for school in a timely fashion. I then grounded him from most of his LEGO's in light of this choice. Next, he informed me that he didn't want to do the dishes--a typical morning chore. He had it organized in his mind that this particular job was no longer his responsibility. Period. Swift and decisive consequences were put into place for that. When it came time for me to follow through with those clear consequences he then wanted to show me who was boss.

Consequences. I state the situation clearly. "This behavior is unacceptable. I won't tolerate it. You are acting out of selfish ambition. You are not choosing humility, submission, or obedience." If needed I'll then move on to declare future consequences. At times, I'll revue and then declare: "Your failure to submit to authority earlier meant that you were grounded from most of your LEGO's for three days. When you failed to do the dishes you were then grounded from _____. You are now bucking the system and failing to adhere to the boundaries that were established. If this continues you'll encounter _____."

He did not want to have anything to do with the ground rules that were established. He wanted to play by his rules. Period. It was not pretty. It was heartbreaking, discouraging, and frustrating. Laborious. Lengthy. A struggle.

Do you ever have days that fatigue? Discourage? Wear you down? Man, that was not a pretty day.

My son's passion for control was his idol--and still is, frankly. He was willing to threaten, punish, and sin to get exactly what he wanted.
       a) Sin: "No, Mom I'm not going to do what you say" (Ephesians 6:1).
       b) Threatening: "If you keep telling me to do the dishes, I'm going to plug my ears and refuse to listen to you."
       c) Punish: "I'm not listening to you. I said the dishes were not my job any more and that's how it is."

In the end I had to call in reinforcements. I called my husband home. He talked with our son. He clearly laid down the law. He wasn't going to put up with the treatment I received. I don't always have the luxury of calling Daddy home. Sometimes I have to bear through it and get done what I can. I ache most when my school day gets shut down because things go so off course with a disobedient child. But, listen up on this one: my child's heart will always be more important than school. His sanctification, obedience, and righteousness will always be more important that Reading, Handwriting, Science, and History. If he has to repeat a grade because his academics were hijacked from time to time then so be it. His relationship with the Father will always be the primary reason I am at home with my children. If I fail at that...then I have failed. (Side note: Their salvation is not my responsibility; their spiritual training is. Please don't misunderstand that bit.)

So I leave myself and you with this exhortation...

       1. Pray regularly. Frequently. Without ceasing.
       2. Draw near to Him in His Word.
       3. Believe that His work is being perfected according to His purposes
       and design.

4. Thank Him boldly, richly, freely. Thank Him for everything.

We know not what each situation is for, but we can trust that

everything--in due time--will bring Him glory.

"For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name." Psalm 33:21

Beloved, the aching days should place us at His feet. And if that is the byproduct of a difficult, difficult day then glory be to God for that sweet, sweet posture of needing Him. So hard to thank Him for those days, but right where we need to be.

Lord, I am not a fan of the difficult days. I'll be honest. I don't care for them. They wear me down. Forgive me for flailing about miserably when I try to work out all the details my way. Forgive me for getting off course at times. I need You. I need You more than my body needs air to breathe. I need You. Teach me to sit at your feet. Teach me to seek Your face. Teach me to want You more and more. Show me where and how I am to follow You. I've got four precious blessings who are watching me. Help me to humbly and imperfectly set the example that You have called me to set for Your name and Your glory alone. I need You. AMEN

Wanting more of Him,

Google Search Terms: encouragement, homeschool, Melissa Culver's School Daze

ACE Overcomers

2011-09-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

My husband and I work for a local non-profit--ACE Overcomers. It's in the ground-breaking stages at this point. It's full-time ministry. Local. Did I say local? I'm a fan of local ministry. Meeting needs. Pouring into the broken. Giving people hope. Setting them free. That's what we're about.

We're about the Gospel. Totally, unabridged. Complete. Real. Right here. And we're about discipleship. The long-term vision is to publish the material and make it available to other churches. But, for now, we're at the ground-breaking level and everything comes with time.

So, if you are curious about the work we do with people who have Adverse Childhood Experiences and how discipleship can set them free, feel free to enjoy this quick video. It will help you see our vision more clearly.

Humbly at His feet,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, ACE Overcomers, Adverse Childhood Experiences, video, ministry vision, YouTube video

Bellevue Bowl

2011-09-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Recently we got a behind-the-scenes tour at our local bowling alley: Bellevue Bowl. Here's what we saw:

The upper-mechanism that makes it all work.

A stockpile of pins in the back.

The back region where the pins are collected
and returned for the next frame.

At the close of each frame the pins shake to the back and are then
elevated and spun. Once they reach the top they are placed into
their individual slots so they can be carefully placed for play.

Here's that upper region where they fall into place.

Here they are falling into place.
They are almost ready to be dropped
into position.

And here they are nesting and ready to go.

The scissor.

This machine cleans and lubricates
the lanes each day.

I think this field trip was a winner.

I'll leave you with some bowling facts:
1. The ball return sends your ball back to you at a speed of 35 mph.
2. The lanes need to be cleaned and lubricated daily. If the lanes were not lubricated the friction of the ball racing down the lane would burn the wood.
3. The interior of each pin is carved out of wood.
4. The exterior of each pin is covered in plastic.
5. A laser detects that a ball has traveled into the pin area and that is what activates the sweeping arm.
6. The pin-grabbing device that clamps and elevates the upright pins is called a scissor.

Friends, where are you going on your field trips? What have you been learning?

Joyfully,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, homeschool, School Daze, bowling, field trip, Bellevue Bowl, Atwater, CA, bowling facts

The Moon

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

In the midst of all my reading this semester I encountered an author who pointed out this idea (it may have been Jerry Bridges in Trusting God or it could have been Jay Adams in Competent to Counsel...I hope it was one of those):

"I was designed by God to reflect His glory. Just like the moon reflects the radiant light of the sun I was designed to share His light with the world. Never was I designed to be the sun--simply something much, much smaller whereby others may know Him" [paraphrase].

Beloved, shine on,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, moon, devotional, encouragement, homeschool mom

Science Happens

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Friends of ours sent us home with some frogs the other day. They had over 60 baby frogs in their yard and had no problem parting with some of them. The kids thought this was the coolest thing ever: dinner, dessert, Lego time, and frogs.

I love how learning naturally happens--no books required. I am totally a fan of books, but I love when the kids have a chance to explore nature--alive, fresh, real, and in their hands.

How are you exploring real life with your kids? What parts do they enjoy best?

Humbly,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, frogs, nature, Science

KAMB Radio 2011

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

If you have spent any time around here you know that we enjoy field trips. And my kids--this year--are asking that we repeat some of the good ones we have already done. For example, here's one of our recent repeats.

KAMB Radio is our local Christian radio station. They broadcast miles beyond our immediate area, but for us, it's just up the street a bit.

Dave Benton is one of the local radio personalities.
He's been serving faithfully for quite a number of years.

I think Big K stole the show.

Here's Dave preparing to record the kids so they could
hear themselves on the air. What a treat!

Oh, and I can't forget to say "Thank you!" for the spectacular FREE stuff we got when we were done. Um, wow! It has been such a blessing to listen to this precious music.

Thank you, again, KAMB, for letting us tour the studio. We had a blast!

Joyfully,

Goggle Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, field trip, KAMB Radio, homeschool

I Will Remember

2011-09-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

I found this video a few days ago. Profound. Eloquent. Amazing.

Humbled by His love,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, 9/11, remember, Scheibner video, video, powerful video of hope, salvation, redemption, grace

From The Gutter

2011-09-08T06:00:00.001-07:00

If you look closely at these images you will notice that this fresh, new, alive growth is coming from the drain. Essentially it is coming from the gutter. Something new, fresh, alive, beautiful is coming from the gutter.

The biblical narrative is rich with heroes who essentially came from the gutter. Gutter is such a broad term, really. It could mean poverty, low position, rejection, sin, poor decisions, heartache, or defeat.

Let's start with Moses. We find his narrative in the book of Exodus. He was once a murderer. And what did God call him to? He lead God's people out of slavery. He was a poor speaker (Exodus 4:10) and yet he spoke before the man with the most power in all of Egypt--Pharaoh.

Abraham's wife. Not only did she treat her maidservant awfully, but she laughed at God's plans and lied about it. I don't want to come down too hard on her, I have to ask "Lord, how am I like her?" from time to time. In spite of her hate-filled bitterness toward Hagar (Genesis 16 and Genesis 21) and her outright criticism of God (Genesis 18), she was selected by God to be the mother of many nations. A pure demonstration of God's grace.

David, was a man after God's own heart. Simultaneously, his self-pleasing passions drove him to fornication, and murder, and coverup. Yet, we would not have the vast richness of the Psalms if it were not for his great, great heartache--hunted down by armies, hunted down by his own son, his best friend was killed, his infant son died. David is an example of beauty from the gutter.

Paul's ministry came about after he persecuted the church. Murdered. Tortured. Arrested. Persecuted. And yet, most of the New Testament records his letters to the church. His letters to various people and churches have inspired the church for centuries. Extraordinary faith. Passionate about the work of God--advancing all over the earth.

Jesus. Jesus was born in humble circumstances. He was born to poor parents. He was persecuted, arrested, tortured, humiliated, and murdered. He rose from the dead. Today, he rescues believers from the pit. He sanctifies, purifies, and sets free. We encounter beauty because He suffered.

Beloved, does this season feel like a gutter to you? Hardship? Family conflict? Issues at work? Health concerns? Confusion? Doubt? Uncertainty? I'll share this with you: good things come from the gutter.

Trust in His promises. Rest in His provision. Be encouraged by fellow believers. Stay anchored in His Word. I'll repeat that: Stay anchored in His Word.

Because He loves me,

Google Search Terms: Melissa Culver, School Daze, devotional, Moses, growth from the gutter

Textures

2011-09-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

When I went to the Castle Air Museum for Open Cockpit Day (last post) I was able to capture some texture images. Are you a photographer? Graphic design specialist? Budding digital artist? Places like this one are fantastic for capturing textures like these:

Are you looking for more textures, overlays, or enhancements? Maybe you can find a junk yard, scrap metal recycler, farm, or other metal-housing location to find some great textures like these.

For those of you who may be in the dark about this, look at my header (that top banner with my picture in it). On the right-hand side I used layering and textures to create that look. I muted (transparency) the boldness of the image, shadowed out some other areas (removed with dodging), then I added in a layer with just the right color to blend it all smoothly. For people who like the layered look, these pictures (above) are gold mines--treasures that make photography even more fun.

Where are you capturing texture images? What beauty have you discovered/created in layers. Feel free to share below.

Joyfully,

Google Search Terms: photography, textures, graphic design, overlay, jpg, enhancements, Melissa Culver, homeschool, School Daze

Open Cockpit Day

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Back in May we were able to go to the airplane museum located in Atwater, CA. Each year they have two open cockpit days. Here are a few of the pictures I took while we were there...

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Imagination and discovery.

Can you see them poking their heads through the window there?

Little D wasn't quite sure about all those buttons and nobs and gears.

Good advice, you think?

To all the brave men and women who fearlessly serve to defend our freedom: Thank you!

Grateful,
Humbled,

Google Search Terms: airplane, airplanes, open cockpit, cockpit, Castle Air Museum, Atwater, CA, Melissa Culver, School Daze, homeschool, field trip

Serving Locally

2011-09-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

Wrapped up in the beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility to serve anywhere, any time, any day. So, a few weeks ago we were able to help out Love Inc. (Love In The Name of Christ that is). They serve locally--people in need. And they raised money by selling chicken dinners.

That's my dad. He doesn't believe in "retirement." He's still serving. Giving his time. Loving the community. Such a faithful servant.

Don't come between a man and his BBQ. I failed to catch his name. The smoke was pretty thick out there; I went inside. Such a precious smile. And, the man can work wonders with the BBQ. That chicken was awesome.

Lynne Thompson. She's currently the director of Love Inc., Merced.
Author. Lecturer. Homeschool mom. Friend.

I think they bonded. Do you?

Here we are wrapping up plastic utensils in napkins. They gave us the easy stuff.

So, friends, does your homeschool serve locally? What are you doing?

Humbly,

Google Search Terms: Love Inc. Merced, CA, serving, homeschool service projects, homeschool field trips, Melissa Culver, School Daze

Isaac -- Part Two

2011-08-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

(Image credit.)

Genesis 22:9-14

9 Then they came to the place
of which God had told him;
and Abraham built the altar there
and arranged the wood,
and bound his son Isaac
and laid him on the altar,
on top of the wood.
10 Abraham stretched out his hand
and took the knife
to slay his son.
11 But the angel of the LORD
called to him from heaven and said,
“Abraham, Abraham!”
And he said, “Here I am.”
12 He said, “Do not stretch out your hand
against the lad,
and do nothing to him;
for now I know that you fear God,
since you have not withheld your son,
your only son,
from Me.”
13 Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked,
and behold,
behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns;
and Abraham went and took the ram
and offered him up for a burnt offering
in the place of his son.
14 Abraham called the name of that place
The LORD Will Provide,
as it is said to this day,
“In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.”

Does this post nullify the post from yesterday? No.

God richly gave Abraham an opportunity to see his heart.

For our bible time the other day we bumped into Psalm 17. I was struck with this piece of text:

"Though you probe my heart

and examine me at night,
though you test me..."

Psalm 17:3a

Trials provide a rich opportunity for God to reveal to us what is in our hearts. Psalm 139 is another great text that reveals this.

¹ O LORD, you have searched me
   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you know it completely, O LORD.

AND

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Abraham, through adversity, was able to see what his heart was capable of. God knew in advance all of the details. God provided the ram. But, God wanted Abraham to know his heart. Truthfully, I think God wanted Isaac to see what obedience looked like as well. For sure, He penned the parallelism/foreshadow of Christ's sacrifice.

Beloved, what trials are you facing? What is the Lord revealing to you about your heart? Do you like what you see?

I have been faced with some pressing pressures lately. I don't like what my heart has revealed to me. It has required confession and repentance. But, praise God the Lord revealed to me the areas that needed pruning. It is worse for that to just hover below the surface--unnoticed and un-dealt-with. How excellent it is when the Lord reveals and prunes!

Thank You, Lord, for testing me. Thank You for examining me. Thank You for revealing my heart to me. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of repentance. For the beauty of confession. For the peace that comes with obedience. You are worthy of praise. I adore You. AMEN

Journeying sweetly,

Isaac -- Part One

2011-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

(Image credit.)

^{Genesis 22:1-8}

¹ Now it came about after these things,

that God tested Abraham,

and said to him, “Abraham!”

And he said,

“Here I am.”

² He said, “Take now your son,

your only son,

whom you love,

Isaac,

and go

to the land ofMoriah,

and offer him there as a burnt offering

on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.”

³ So Abraham rose early in the morning

and saddled his donkey,

and took two of his young men with him

and Isaac his son;

and he split wood for the burnt offering,

and arose

and went

to the place of which God had told him.

⁴ On the third day

Abraham raised his eyes

and saw the place from a distance.

⁵ Abraham said to his young men,

“Stay here with the donkey,

and I and the lad will go over there;

and we will worship and return to you.”

⁶ Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering

and laid it on Isaac his son,

and he took in his hand the fire and the knife.

So the two of them walked on together.

⁷ Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said,

“My father!”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

And he said, “Behold, the fire and the wood,

but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

⁸ Abraham said, “God will provide
for Himself

the lamb

for the burnt offering,

my son.”

So the two of them walked on together.

A few things to point out here, in case you didn't catch them.

1. God gave Isaac vivid clarity: a) your son, b) your only son, c) whom you love, d) Isaac. When God sacrificed His Son for us it was His Son, His only Son, whom He loved, Jesus.

2. Abraham obeyed God early that next morning. He didn't wait. He didn't question God. He obeyed.
3. Verse four articulates that they journeyed three days. Abraham wore the complex weight of slaughtering his son on his heart for three days.

4. Isaac wore the wood on his body. Christ wore the wood on his body.

5. In verse 7 Isaac asks this question: "Where is the lamb?" Isaac knew that this worship was to be with a lamb. He had watched his father. He knew. Christ was our sacrificial lamb.
6. Humbly and obediently Isaac followed his father. Christ humbly and obediently followed His Father.

Today God won't call me to slaughter anyone, but He may call me to give up my dreams, passions, desires, dream job, financial security, home, car, neighborhood, ministry position, title, status, etc. My only dream, passion, desire, dream job, fill-in-the-blank. The one I love--car, neighborhood, ministry position, title, status. Then with clarifying sting: fill-in-the-blank.

Am I willing to chop the wood, pack the donkey, go that next day, take my fill-in-the-blank? Journey three days? Build an altar? Arrange the wood? Wrap my fill-in-the-blank with rope and sacrifice it on the very location He has called me to?

It's called obedience.

Lord, whatever You have called me to sacrifice I lay it on the altar. It's not about me. It's not about me. It. Is. Not. About. Me. I lay it all down. I worship You.

Humbly in awe of His sacrifice,

Imperfectly,

He is Good

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is not our vehicle. However, these images work well with the theme of this post. Read on.

Pure humility is having a thankful heart for all things. No strings. No conditions. Just pure thanksgiving. And so my list continues...

Thank you, Lord, ...
157. the kids were not in the car
158. most of the damage was just cosmetic
159. Jason sustained no injuries
160. the person who rear ended him sustained no injuries
161. he was insured
162. we have insurance
163. the conversation they had was delightful--considering the circumstances
164. everyone was honest
165. our agent is moving quickly on the details
166. we will get a rental vehicle while the repairs are taken care of
167. for the one vehicle You have given us in this season
168. and that it meets our needs
169. Your precious care for us is perfect
170. You watch over us
171. Your hand of protection was upon Jason
172. Your hand of protection was upon the other motorist
173. the ambulance that ripped through the intersection was able to respond to real needs in a timely fashion
174. You knew about this long before we did
175. You know that it will sanctify us in some fashion for Your glory
176. the challenges we face in life leave us breathlessly in awe of your Master Plan
177. the beauty of prayer
178. You are able to discern the silent prayers that speak little or no words
179. You get the glory
180. for reminding me how fragile life is
181. for reminding me that You are fully in control of all the little details
182. "inconveniences" reveal to me what is in my heart
183. Psalm 17: You probe me, You examine me, You test me.
184. Psalm 17: David was satisfied in You alone. Am I?

Here are the links to my previous posts:
Post 1. Post 2. Post. 3. Post 4. Post 5. Post 6. Post 7. Post 8. Post 9. Post 10.

Journeying sweetly,

Homemade Homeschool Shirts

2011-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

We made our own homeschool t-shirts back in 2009. We're in need of new ones pretty soon. The kids have grown quite a bit since then.

Here's a quick tutorial on how we do homemade homeschool t-shirts.

Supplies Needed:

t-shirts
sewing machine
Avery print-on fabric sheets
computer
printer
temporary fabric adhesive

1. Wash t-shirts and dry them so that adequate shrinkage occurs before you sew on the design or logo (school name, verse, theme, co-op name, etc.).
2. Go to whatever computer program you typically use for printing word documents. (I used a graphics program for mine, but it is NOT necessary to do that.) Make your design. Use any font you enjoy most. Nothing complex is necessary. Then print several on each page at the sizes you have pre-determined.
3. Print out your design on the fabric sheets (Avery or whatever brand you picked up).
4. Follow package directions on how to cure the ink. The print-on fabric sheets that you purchased will tell you if you need to iron the printed on fabric sheets or not. Do whatever the package says. I purchased mine at our local fabric store. There's more than one manufacturer out there who makes this product. Amazon.com offers the Avery fabric product if you cannot find it locally.
5. Cut your design or logo to fit the measurements that you wish. I used a rotary blade and cutting mat. Find a quilter in your area if you don't have these tools already. She'll probably let you borrow these.

6. Spray each design or logo with temporary fabric adhesive and place these onto the shirts how you wish. Then sew into place using your sewing machine.

7. Wash, wear, and enjoy. You can even make one for yourself if you wish. How about one that says: "I like Prent Teacher Conferences"? (That's code language for date night, if you're new to homeschooling)

I used this technique to make shirts for a friend of mine who was battling cancer. Her shirts read "bald is beautiful," "He is LORD," and "by HIS grace."

Have a family reunion coming up? Use this technique for that as well.

I made pillows for my parents who were going into surgery on the same day. These hospital pillows were a true source of encouragement to them.

Joyful in the Journey,

Google Search Terms: homeschool shirts, homeschool t-shirts, how to make homemade shirts, making homemade homeschool t-shirts, tutorial, free

Record Keeping 2011

2011-08-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

We are embarking on year number 3 here at Culver Academy. I think I have tweaked my record-keeping skills to a point where I can actually tell people "This one is a keeper."

This is what I designed for my record-keeping binder:

(Click on any of the images to view them larger.

Then hit Back on your browser to come back here.)

And here is the link where you can get the document for free. You'll be redirected to Google Docs. You can click the Download button. It will import into Microsoft Excel for you. (If you don't have Excel, there is a free document sharing tool out there. Search Google and try to find it. Hopefully that will help you.)

Here's what it looks like in Excel. You can add the names of your children under the column titled KIDS. Modify the subjects as you see fit. Or, shrink the rows and put more stuff in there. It's yours.

When you access the document in Google Docs it will look funny. It does not view well. Here's what it looks like in Google Docs. At first glance, you'd think it were the wrong thing altogether.

And the next page is closer, but still off.

However, when I downloaded it to my system--from Google Docs--it worked swimmingly. Make sure that your margins are 0.4 on all six bits (including header and footer). Hopefully it will print spot-on for you if your margins are set correctly.

Please do not redistribute this as your own. If you love it enough to tell others about it, please direct them back here. Thank you.

Additionally, here are a few other resources to look at:
                  The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Planners on CD (next line)
                  High School - Middle School - Elementary - Special Needs
                  (Check out the Schoolhouse Store for pre-printed planners from TOS.)
                  2011 - 2012 Shoolhouse Planner

                  Donna Young's Homeschool Resources
                  Homeschool Tracker
                  Homeschool Skedtrack
Family Homeschool Planner 2011 - 2012
                  The Ultimate Homeschool Planner

Don't get overwhlemed. Take my dad's advice: "Make a decision and then make it better." I wholeheartedly agree. Don't enter into paralysis analysis. Choose something. Then, next year, make it better. And so on.

My first year I used a wall calendar. I wrote notes on each day. When each month was finished I tore off the page, folded it up, and put it in my binder. Last year I used a spiral-bound thing, but had to fill in so much on my own. So, now I'm using something that has most of it filled in for me already. And I think this one will work out well for us.

Friends, how do you keep records? What works well for you?

EnJOY your year, friends,

Google Search Terms: homeschool, daily records, academic records, homeschooling, how do I keep records, keeping records

Our Daily Plan 2011 -- Download

2011-08-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share the Daily Plan document with you. You can access it here. After clicking that second link you'll be directed to Google Docs where you can download the Word Doc for free. It will upload to your system (after you select Download). Then you can modify it as you see fit. Add names, adjust times. Put in pertinent academic areas here and there. Draw additional cells. Add a new column to accommodate a fourth child. Whatever.

Use it. Enjoy it. But, don't share it as your own. If you like it, direct people back here and they can get a copy here, please.

Humbly,

Google Search Terms: homeschool routine, routine, daily academic schedule, academic schedule, how do I teach with a toddler, adjusting academic loads, teaching four children, homeschool, homeschooling

Our Daily Plan 2011

2011-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a jpg image of what our daily plan looks like for this school year:

(Click to enlarge image.
Click Back on your browser to return here.)

I'm sure I'll tweak it several times as the year rolls along. But, I feel far more successful when I start with some kind of framework. This points us in the right direction. We don't hold to it with legalistic rigidity. There is flexibility. Honestly, we don't get to Science or History each day. Our writing lessons tend to take longer than 30 minutes if I'm providing scaffolding or if I'm frontloading a new concept. Nonetheless, this is an extraordinary tool for my team to know where we are going and what they should be working on. Flexibility it key. I try to stay flexible and mold my goals based on the climate of the day and the mood of the house. Some days really do crash and burn. But, staying focused on the target helps me to direct my crew steadfastly.

What about field trips and PE days? Most of the schedule gets significantly adjusted to accommodate those bits.

What about free play and exploration? And the general details of childhood? PE days and field trips allow for a lot of that. The kids have free play from 4:00 - 5:00. And often that truly starts at 3:30--I think laundry may move to a later bit in the day. As a homeschool family we take days off as we see fit. The kids need breaks as much as I do. I actually do half days from time to time. When I do that the kids love to play in the dirt in the backyard. Dirt. Yes. Dirt of all things. They spend hours and hours exploring shapes, texture, feel, gravity, and the like all in dirt.

What about chores? Before the school day and after the school day this piece fits in well. Dishes get taken of before school. Sometimes they get tackled again at lunch. And again at dinner. Yard work is a Saturday thing. Dusting, toilets, scrubbing and the like may be a Saturday morning thing. Everyone is out of bed by 7:00 anyway we might as well start with a clean weekend.

Do you wake your children up for this plan to work? Our Little D is up by 5:30 on this own--naturally (He's my alarm clock). Little R is up at 6:00 naturally each day. Big R wants to set her alarm and Big K gets woken up when we start family worship in his room.

Do you have a schedule for your school? Or, do you just fly by the seat of your pants? Or, is it a little of both?

UPDATE: Here's the link for the free download of this document.

Enjoy your year,
Humbly serving the Master,

Google Search: homeschool plan, homeschool planning, routine, organizer, free download, organizing tools

His Lovingkindness

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Moved. We moved. Yes, we gathered up our things and moved north. We found a new piece of earth to call ours for this new season.

Everything was reduced to its noun form: crayons, curriculum, bowls, plates, utensils, envelopes, books, winter clothes, sprinkler parts, etc. You quickly see how just-stuff your stuff really is.

And in the midst of it all His grace was ready to sustain us, comfort us, encourage us, assist us, equip us, guide us, lead us, and prepare the way. I was richly reminded over and over again that the Lord called the Israelites to wander about the desert for forty years. They moved frequently. Wandering. Moving. And moving.

I'm reminded that I need to reflect on His goodness. I need to be reminded over and over again how good He is. Good is not conditional based on circumstances; it is a quality of God--always.

So, here I'll pause to remind myself--like I should frequently--just how good He has been to me lately. I'm thankful for...
123. a group of men who willing collect my garbage each week
124. the precious woman who delivers my mail each day
125. the sweet man who came by to ask about our garage door being open
126. the neighbor at our old house who took out our garbage cans for us
127. Sherlynne who came with coffee and donuts to serve the men who helped us move all of our furniture to our new place in four hours
128. all of the spectacular men who moved all of our furniture to our new place
129. my parents for taking the kids for us the day of the move
130. Bill who changed out the plug on our dryer from a four-prong to a three-prong so we could have clean sheets our first night
131. the beauty of clean sheets
132. my mother-in-law who gave us grass seed so that we could fill in a few bare spots
133. grass seed
134. men who helped disassemble, transport, and reassemble the jungle gym
135. the beauty of a jungle gym for my children to explore, and climb, and imagine, and play
136. breeze that cooled us on our evening walk tonight
137. the preciousness of new relationships
138. smoke alarms (and bacon grease)
139. siblings who love each other
140. my father who got a new power plug for us so that our modem would work
(I haven't found that poor thing yet.)
141. Sandy for helping me pack boxes
142. Paula who came from Fresno to help me pack
143. Kay who came and helped me pack 22 boxes
144. Kay's kids who joyfully served us as well
145. Valerie who helped me set up my kitchen
146. Virginia who served and served and served
147. Pizza Guys for providing us with lunch and dinner for a few days
148. friends who prayed for us again and again
149. Amy for stopping by to see how she could help
150. Lowe's Home Improvement for all the miscellaneous purchases we have made the past few days
151. ServiceMaster for letting us use the big truck for free (Thank you, Dave!)
152. the overwhelming love we have felt by so many people
153. His grace that has sustained us
154. His love that refreshes us
155. His peace that surpasses all understanding
156. knowing that His ways are perfect

Here are the links to my previous posts:
Post 1. Post 2. Post. 3. Post 4. Post 5. Post 6. Post 7. Post 8. Post 9.

Humbly in awe of how He continues to bless me,

P.S. To everyone who helped us in those weeks: Thank you! Wow, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You were such a beautiful gift from the Lord. Thank you.

Blogger Tutorial -- Pages

2011-08-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

I had a question the other day on a previous Blogger Tutorial. The question was this: How do you get tabs at the top of your page? Here I'll try to answer that for you.

1. Go into the Design portion of your Blogger toolbar.
2. Select Posting.

3. Click Edit Pages.

4. Click on New Page if you don't have any or if you would like to add a new one.

5. Title your page. Add text. Then publish.
6. Add more pages if you see fit.
7. Edit or delete whenever you want.
8. You'll be given a few more options in the edit process. For example, you be asked how they should stack along the top: first, second, third, etc.
9. If you want to edit the font style, font size, or color you'll have to go back to Design and select Template Designer.

10. Choose Advanced.
11. Then select Tabs Text.
12. Modify color, text, and size as you see fit.

13. Always remember to Apply To Blog the changes that you like.
14. And that's it. Don't get discouraged if you change it 6 or 7 times. Just keep working with it.

NOTE: Do note that these "pages" aren't like traditional tabs found in other websites. They are just pages. You won't be given the option to post different fresh posts on these pages nor will comment templates be added. You can add more information later, but it won't post like your main wall (time, date, comments)--you'll just add on to the original post itself if you choose to add more information later.

If you want these pages to function "that" way you can be creative and find a work-around. I have seen people post links in their pages to different sites. For example their main blog may be www.bananas.com. Page 2 may have a link directing people to www.bananas2.com. Most readers may never catch that detail, but they--the pages--are afforded the luxury of housing several traditional-framed posts under that category. Likewise, the next page would be www.bananas3.com. Again, the reader may not catch on fully. Do note that this can get clumsy because Home isn't the original site; it's the home for that secondary or tertiary web address. Your readers may get fully lost in this maze unless you can easily direct them back to your main site. Additionally, posting this way can get overly-cumbersome because you are then managing several sites for your main site.

Rejoicing that I too am a work in progress,

Google Search: How do you get tabs in your Blogger site? How do you add tabs? Can you add tabs?

Celebration Radio

2011-08-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our local Christian radio station asked if they could use some of my pictures for their Verse of the Day spot on their website--a daily encouragement. Here's one spot they ran. (My image is the middle bit on the bottom. You can see how they added scripture over it.)

You can check out their site here at this link.

Thank you, KAMB, for letting me serve Him--and others--with you!

Humbly serving the Master,

Rag Curls

2011-08-03T06:00:00.001-07:00

We did rag curls for the very first time a few weeks ago. If you want curly hair for a day, here's what you do:

1. Take an old wash cloth and cut it into 1/2 inch strips. (An old t-shirt or other spare fabric would work fine too. I liked the firmness of the wash cloth.)
2. Put each strip into a U shape; use that U shape to roll the hair.
3. Portion out small patches of moist hair (not wet, not significantly damp, just moist). A spritz bottle could do the trick. Or, you can blow hair dry after bath time--leaving it a bit damp.
4. Roll sectioned hair along folded strip all the way to the scalp.

5. Take open end of U and thread into loop; tug firmly.
6. Repeat until whole head is in rags.

7. Let dry over night while sleeping.
8. Carefully unroll each rag.
9. Finger pick and massage scalp.
10. Style as you choose.

Have a beautiful hair day,

Garden Party

2011-08-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few months back my Little R was invited to a birthday party. The theme was Garden. I was able to capture some sweet moments of the day. I wanted to share them with you.

(Click each individual image to view larger.
Click BACK on your browser to return here.)

The children absolutely loved this. The birdhouses. The fairies. The dirt. The flowers. The pots. It was a lovely day had by all.

Enjoy playing in the garden with your little ones--be it a party or just every-day garden work.

Joyfully,

Summer Shake

2011-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

What do you do with all that squash, spinach, and zucchini from your garden that you can't give away? Have you thought about adding it to a fruit smoothy or shake? Add all your ingredients like normal (frozen or fresh berries, yogurt, milk, ice, etc.) but, add in a bit of that garden wonderful to your recipe. Blend and enjoy.

How's that for garden delicious? What do you add to your summer shakes?

Happy blending,

Jesus Found Me

2011-07-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

So blessed by this sweet, sweet testimony.

Such a precious word when he says:
"I opened the lid of my heart--so to speak--and saw the filth in my heart. The private sins in the deep corners."

Enjoy this video, sweet friend:

Humbled by His love for me,

More Fruitful

2011-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

John 15:1-17

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,
while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes
so that it will be even more fruitful.

³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,
he will bear much fruit;

apart from me you can do nothing.
⁶ If anyone does not remain in me,
he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers;
such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit,
showing yourselves to be my disciples.

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
¹⁰ If you obey my commands,
you will remain in my love,
just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be complete.
¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.
¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.
Instead, I have called you friends,
for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
¹⁶ You did not choose me,
but I chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.
Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.
(Emphasis mine.)

His love amazes me,

P.S. Do not use an electrical saw for tree work. Use a wood saw.

Blogger Tutorial -- Image Upload TWO

2011-07-27T06:00:00.001-07:00

Here's another way to quickly upload images successfully to a Blogger post. You can use Picasa to upload images easily. It looks like this:

1. Open Picasa.
2. Select the folder that houses your images.
3. Choose the images you want to upload (left mouse click + Ctrl).
4. Now, click the Blogger button located at the bottom of the Picasa screen (the orange square with the white B inside).
5. At this point your Blogger sign in will pop up. You can then maneuver through the details of your images (left, center, large, small, etc.).

6. Next, you'll be redirected to another page where all your images pop into place.
7. Lastly, you're ready for text and the finishing details.

Happy posting!

Joyfully,

Google search terms: Blogger image tutorial on uploading images. Vertical image upload to Blogger.

Thank You, TOS!

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine just released the Summer 2011 issue in digital form as a FREE issue. I am so beside myself. I get to share this amazing magazine with you all at no cost (just this one issue that is). Totally free. Wahooo!

So partake of this free issue. By clicking here. And enjoy this goodness:

Joyfully,

Is Your Soul Thirsty?

2011-07-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

David in the Psalms repeatedly cried out to the Lord. In Psalm 63:5 David says this:
"...my soul will be satisfied as with he richest of foods..."

My soul. Satisfied. Then he paints a comparison. He uses food to describe what satisfies him.

As the text continues we find out what satisfies him:
"...my soul clings to you..." (Psalm 63:8).

Ezekiel 3:3 talks about eating the scroll and being satisfied. The scroll was the recorded word of God.

Jesus openly states that He is the bread of life. John 6:33 says this: "For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Our pastor at First Baptist Church of Merced brings the Word unashamedly. He teaches sound doctrine. Concretely. Purely. He exemplifies integrity, humility, character, honestly, and trustworthiness. Amazing. Wonderful, humble man. We praise God for him and his sweet, sweet family.

So, why would I encourage you to seek out more teaching? Because it satisfies.

Is your soul thirsty? Are you wanting to be washed with The Word? Are you hungry? If you are looking for more teaching I encourage you to check out this link. You'll find link after link of wonderful, godly teaching and preaching. Beloved, I trust that you will be encouraged by His Word.

Because He lives,

Logos

2011-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I talked about the NEW college experience and I talked about Logos software. Today I'm gonna unwrap that a bit more.

Jason and I are currently in a graduate degree program working toward a MA in Biblical Counseling. I may jump ship and pursue NANC Certification instead. (We'll have to wait and see on that detail a bit.)

So, in our program we are using Logos. It is the Ferrari of Bible software. It is the Mona Lisa of Bible software. This program is the bomb. I won't even come close to scratching the surface on how awesome this program is. If your local pastor does not have this software, I highly recommend giving it to his as a gift at some time in his career. This software is invaluable when it comes to teaching The Word.

So, here it is...

A word study on blessed using several different resources.

Another word study on blessed using several different resources.

A linguistic analysis of hope in Hebrew.

(Click on images to see them larger.
Click Back on your browser to return here.)

Languages. Maps. Pictures. Books. Commentaries. Sixty-five different Bibles to choose from (including several different languages that is). Dictionaries. Sentence diagramming tools. More books. More commentaries. And...if you aren't satisfied with the 600+ resources in your digital library you can always buy more. The information is uploaded into the software and it's right there for you to use. Uh-ma-zing. Amazing.

If you are a homeschool mom, see if this tool/resource may be useful to you as you teach your children The Word. Or, if your son/daughter is currently leading a bible study or a Sunday school class, this may be a perfect gift for him/her.

"Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God..." (Psalm 146:5).

For the King,
Melissa Culver

The NEW College Experience

2011-07-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

I graduated from college in 1999. The internet was very, very new back then. My college experience at the undergraduate level was vastly different from the collegiate experience that I'm having now.

So what was new? How has college changed in 12 years?

1. Laptop. I had a laptop at all times with me during lectures. I'm not at the mercy of writing out lecture notes for myself with great detail. I have the luxury of typing 75 wpm. Additionally, I am able to email my notes to other students quickly and efficiently if they missed lecture for some reason. I don't have to hunt down dimes or a copy machine.

2. Lecture notes. The night before class lectures started our professor uploaded his partly-empty class notes to our class home page. Each student was able to download those notes to their computers. We followed along in our notes while he lectured. We filled in all the blanks and added additional information as we went along. A vastly different teaching and learning style from 11 years ago for sure. Here's a screen capture of the notes he sent to us:

3. When my professor started talking about hapax legomenon I was able to hop on my internet-ready laptop using on-campus WiFi. I was then able to jump over to Wikipedia.org. At that point I was able to find out what it meant and how to spell it. This made it possible for me to add this information to my notes clearly and accurately.

4. Facebook. Our Summer Intensive Program now has a Facebook page. We are able to easily connect with each other using this online format. Prayer requests. Praises. Questions. Advice. Camaraderie. Since we are scattered all over the globe this really helps keep us all connected.

5. Computer Software. For various classes, today, you will find that computer software programs are a must. Different collegiate institutions will request that you use a particular word processing software. Other academic programs will require you to use diet and nutrition software (specific programs for your field of learning, basically). In our program we used Logos. I'll talk more about that in a later post. But, be aware that this may be a program cost for your specific academic program.

6. Assignment Upload. I never turned in any assignments by "handing" them in. All of my work was uploaded online using a portal specifically designed for the classes I'm taking. My assignments--after graded--were re-uploaded to that same portal in pdf format with comments.

Well, if you plan to jump back into the world of academics, yourself, I hope this helps. Or, if you are preparing your high schooler to head off to college, this bit of information may be of great benefit to you.

Humbly serving the Master,
Melissa Culver

TMC Homeschool Online

2011-07-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I found this brilliantly fantastic--seeing that I'm a homeschool mom and all. I had to share this delightful news with you.

The Master's College has undergraduate classes that can be completed online. And many states (potentially all) afford you an opportunity to get dual credit for taking college courses while in high school (high school credit AND college credit).

If you are wanting your high schooler to take college level courses to complete high school credit, this would work for you. Or, if your high schooler needs to be at home for a bit longer--post graduation--but still wants to complete college-level courses then this may be something for you to consider. Here's the link to get more information.

Check it out. Pray about it. See if this is the perfect fit for you or your family.

Humbly,
Melissa Culver

Skype

2011-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

When Jason and I were in SoCal we were able to Skype with the kids. Here are a few of the images from our video conference:

Jason and I are in the upper corner.
And we are Skyping the kids from our dorm room.

Big R is helping Little D read a book to us.

They are telling us all about the people in the airplane.

He was so excited about reading to us that he had to start
from the beginning and read it a second time.

No, he can't read at the age of three.
However, this is actually a wonderful pre-reading behavior that
should be highly encouraged in young children.

What a radiant smile! And so proud of himself.
Such a sweet, sweet boy.

Did you know that one-to-one, video-Skype conversations are free? Yes, they are. Just download the software, set up an account, find a friend who is on Skype and you are good to go. You will need a webcam. They are not too expensive; most laptops come with built-in webcams now.

We actually use Skype as part of our classroom, on occasion. Have you ever thought about having your kids read to friends or family that you know via video? My oldest son reads to grandma (who happens to be in town) using Skype. It's like having an academic tutor in the other room. How fantastic is that?

Here I am with my crew Skyping my parents.

We enjoy using Skype in our classroom. Do you? How do you use Skype in your classroom?

Joyfully,
Melissa Culver

Video Postcard

2011-07-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Jason (my husband) and I were in Santa Clarita, California at The Master's College taking graduate classes in Biblical Counseling. Our four kids were with my parents. Here's just one of the video postcards I sent them:

Devotional Video

Why do I share this with you? If you are out of town for some reason, this may be a great way to stay connected with your kids. Sing songs. Read a story. Tell them a story of your childhood. Set the privacy settings to unlisted and share away. Unlisted means that people won't be able to find your video if they search for it. Only those with the link have access to it. Or, feel free to share your masterpiece with the whole world.

Joyfully,
Melissa Culver

Remember

2011-07-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

The Old Testament narrative calls people to remember. Here are a few verses that say such:
"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth” (Genesis 9:16).

"But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison" (Genesis 40:14).

"God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation" (Exodus 3:15).

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy" (Exodus 20:8).

"Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God." (Numbers 15:40).

"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day." (Deuteronomy 5:15).

"Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands" (Deuteronomy 8:2).

In light of this beautiful calling to remember I wanted to pause--myself-- and remember this:

One year ago Jason was here. He was in an isolated room. Looked over by infectious disease specialists. Investigated. Probed. Examined. Rescued from the pit. And finally released with a clear bill of health.

So, today I paused and said:
Lord, I remember. I remember Your goodness to me. Thank You, Lord. Thank You for rescuing Jason. Thank You for authoring this calamity for our good and for Your glory. Thank You. Thank You for the gift of remembering. May the reflective bits of my mind rejoice in Your excellence. May I be a rememberer. May I choose to remember the greatness of Your plan, the awesomeness of Your care, the beauty of Your provision. You alone are worthy. AMEN

Beloved, what do you remember? Maybe you too can pause today and say, "Thank you."

Because of His grace,
Melissa Culver

Blogger Tutorial -- Scheduled Posts

2011-07-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

How on earth do you blog nearly every day? Or when you are out of town? I don't. Here's the trick. I type up several posts on one day and I schedule them to "go live" each on a different day. For example, I may knock out 5 posts in one day, but I schedule them to go live Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the following week. See how that works? It saves my readers from having to blaze through several posts in one sitting. It also gives me the freedom to move things around a bit if I choose. And, the information trickles in, in lieu of flooding in.

So, here's how it works:

Here, you can see how I have several posts scheduled to run. In red it says "scheduled". I even have one scheduled in November already, but I removed the name of that one. I don't want the cat out of the bag just yet.

And down here you can see where you too can make this happen at your blog. Click Post Options and the rest of these tools will cascade down for you. They are hidden if you don't click on that. Then choose Scheduled at and type in the date and the time you want your post to go live. The Preview button (blue and to the right of Publish Post) allows you to see what it would look like if you truly published it right now. This is spectacular. I use this to make sure that my line spacing and text formatting are right on the money. Almost 100% of the time I edit something after hitting that button.

(Click on images to view them larger.)

So there you have it. Let me know if there are any other Blogger tutorials you'd like me to run. I'll see what I can do for you.

Enjoying the journey,
Melissa Culver

Why Write It?

2011-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Is your son allergic to fine motor skills? Does he detest writing? My oldest son does not enjoy pencil work. There are some days where I will write out his work for him. When we're working on Math I assess him in Math. When we're working on Handwriting I evaluate his progress in that area. Why must the two be mixed? They certainly can be, but they don't have to. Let me show you:

See his bits on the left? See my bits on the right? He told me the answer. I wrote it down. Cheating? Not at all. Again, the assessment here is comprehension of the task/skill/element. Does he know it? Yes, he does.

Some days we don't even write it down. Simply telling me the answers is fine and dandy. Spelling tests can be oral. History tests can be oral. Pretty much anything can be assessed through conversation if you want it to be.

So, next time consider writing it yourself. Or, simply talk to your child about it.

Enjoy the Journey,
Melissa Culver

San Francisco -- Part 4

2011-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good eats...

Artistic pics...

Having fun...

A new bridge. The Bay Bridge is not earthquake sound and so a new bridge is going up next to it. I don't know when the construction on this bridge will be complete, but it sure was fascinating to see it mid-way through the project.

Enjoying the journey,
Melissa Culver

San Francisco -- Part 3

2011-07-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Two last posts about San Francisco--today and tomorrow. Today I'll share with you the awesome beauty of spray paint artists.

I had never seen such a thing before. Sure I knew there were graffiti artists, but I had never seen anything like this before. Right before our eyes in less than twenty minutes a white "canvas" was transformed gradually into stuff like this:

And this is how he did it.

(Click on images to view larger.)

Um, wow,
Melissa Culver

Blogger Tutorial -- Image Upload

2011-07-08T06:00:00.001-07:00

Two questions to answer here.

1. How do I get my vertical pictures to upload vertically in Blogger?

2. How do I get my images to upload in order?

First: How do I get my vertical pictures to upload vertically in Blogger?
You will need to save your jpg file as a png file or a gif file. At some point Blogger may change their internal software/upload tools so that this is not necessary. But for now, I have changed all of my jpg files to gif files if I want them to upload the right direction.

Second: How do I get my images to upload in order?
Ah, yes. There are times where I have 12 pictures that I want uploaded and I know exactly how I want them. When they upload in order my formatting is quick and easy. However, so many times I have uploaded them and they are not in the right order. So, how do you fix that? Here's what I do:

Using my keyboard and mouse I select each image individually (Ctrl + mouse click) in REVERSE order. This is what it looks like:

You can see how image 04 is a gif file. You can also see how images 02-04 have been selected and they appear in order in the text line near the bottom. They will upload in the order the text appears.

(Click on images to view them larger.

You may need to click twice if you want to magnify it.)

So now that they are uploaded I am able to add them to my already completed text--in the right order, easily.

I hope this helps!

Joyfully,
Melissa Culver

Frozen Strawberries

2011-07-07T06:00:00.001-07:00

Here's a spectacular tip for freezing fresh fruit and vegetables. After washing your ______ (berries, peas, whatever) place it/them onto a cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer and then let freeze.

After it is good and frozen, remove from the freezer and then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Return it to the freezer. When you are ready to enjoy it, just take the four or six (or twelve or twenty) that you want out and put the rest back in.

Enjoy your summer,
Melissa Culver

Jr. Artist

2011-07-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Little D is an early riser. He is typically out of bed around 5:15AM on his own each morning. On rare occasions he may sleep in until 6:00AM. One morning he wanted to start his day with paint. Sure; why not? So, I got the supplies out and let him go for it. He got busy making something beautiful.

He absolutely had a wonderful time working on his "papers." Could you see that focus? Determination? Concentration?

Friends, is art a normal part of your home? What medium(s) do your kids enjoy the most?

Delightfully,
Melissa Culver

Making Globes

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

We studied the universe when school was in session. Each child was then able to make a planet of their own. We used balloons, newspaper, watered-down glue, paintbrushes, and paint. And here's what it looked like:

Even our little D got involved. He's a part of everything we do.

I used a paperclip and a hanger to assist in the drying process. I hug it from the light fixture in the kitchen.

What art projects are you working on this summer? What are creative ways you let art project dry in your home?

Joy in the Journey,
Melissa Culver

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this short video about our history. If you have never seen it before I bet you'll find it very fascinating. Did you know that the US Capitol used to hold church services? Did you know that the US Congress initiated the publishing of the Bible? Check out the video to find out more:

Enjoy your Fourth of July, friends.

For His Kingdom alone,
Melissa Culver

Summer is for...

2011-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

all of these things.
And thanksgiving...

123. searching for starfish

124. the rhythmic symphony of the ocean

125. the melancholy tranquility of ocean birds

126. homemade French Fries

127. stuffed bell peppers

128. fruit kebabs

129. the beauty of His craft

130. the bounty of His abundant harvests

131. there is a season for everything (Ecclesiastes 3)

132. color -- He made me to see in color
The awesomeness of His design included that I could see in color.

133. I can breathlessly enjoy the beauty of His hands

134. each is unique

135. in its own special way--purposeful

136. alone time

137. free fruit from a neighbor's tree

138. a summer rain

139. dreaming

140. praying--eyes wide open

141. an endless supply of art supplies

142. imagination

143. homemade aprons made from pillowcases

144. matching pillowcase dresses

145. hand-me-downs that turn into something new

146. simple ways to make old things new

147. clearance shorts that easily become purses

148. finding life around every corner

149. Emergency Room staff who are highly skilled
at repairing a busted lip
150. the grace He gave me to pin my child down
while this took place

151. rag curls

Here are the links for my previous posts:
Post 1. Post 2. Post. 3. Post 4. Post 5. Post 6. Post 7. Post 8. Post 9.

Friends, what are you thankful for? Have you started a list of gratitude? Feel free to share some things that you are thankful for below. It's never too late to start saying thank you--courageously and contagiously.

With thanksgiving,
Melissa Culver

Early Phonics

2011-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a FREE early phonics program? Have you tried Starfall yet? I absolutely recommend it. My kids have loved using the tools on this site for years. Our two-year-old even enjoys Starfall.

They both can listen with headphones at the same time.
I really like that bit.

What free resources does your family enjoy using?

Joy in the Journey,
Melissa Culver

Mowing the Lawn

2011-06-30T06:00:00.002-07:00

I am the resident lawn care specialist in our home. This is a new thing for me. Starting in the fall part of our Science time will be caring for the garden--together. This is our mower:

We save on gas. I burn calories. Our garden is cared for.

If you are currently using a reel mower or considering the purchase of one, note that you'll eventually end up with some of these in your yard:

When some of the pieces of grass are missed they grow even longer. And the next week when you come back to mow it all over again the mower will bump into these tall things and will not cut them.

So, you will need to either pull them by hand, trim them by hand with clippers, or use an electric trimmer of some kind.

If you have had zero training on using an electric trimmer, let me help you out.

Wear tennis shoes or quality foot covering while using this machine. You don't want to lose a toe or part of one.
I recommend pants. It's not a must, but I recommend it. As you trim, small bits of dirt, rock, and debris will fly at you. Pants are a great protective shield to cover your legs when these things fly your way.
Make sure that your eyes are covered with some type of protection (glasses, sunglasses, or other eye protection). My neighbor had a rock fly at his face while using his electric trimmer and he was VERY thankful that he had eye protection on. So very thankful.
Adjust the handle when needed. It will save your back muscles.
You will need more of the coil to come out periodically. As it hits rocks, trim, and other hard surfaces it disintegrates and you will need more coil to come out. When this is needed....take my advice on this one...tap the machine on the ground lightly (the coil-dispensing end that is) and the center shaft that houses the coil will dispense more of said coil for you. I did not know this. I was manually extracting more coil every 20 feet or so. I am now in the know.

Image credit.

I probably don't need to say this, but I will: Don't try to trim the extension cord. That's bad.

So, who is the master gardener in your home? What are some things we should know about manicuring the lawn? What are some things you do in your garden?

Humbly pruned by the Master,
Melissa Culver

How Many Hours?

2011-06-29T06:00:00.001-07:00

I've been chatting with a few moms who are considering homeschooling this fall. And one question I get is this: How many hours each day do you spend homeschooling your children?

Great question. Let me first direct your attention to this article:

Did you read the article? (Click on it twice then hit 'back' on your browser.) The article states (indirectly) that only two hours are spent each day on core academics in the public school system. It does. Read it. See for yourself.

What? How can that be? Let's investigate. As a homeschool family we don't...

take a daily lunch count
take attendance for 32 kids each day
listen to morning announcements
stand in line for 30 minutes each day (before school, recess one, going to lunch, going to the library, going to assemblies, recess two, heading out to classroom XYZ for differentiated math, coming back from differentiated math, other miscellaneous differentiated or pull-out class programs)
pause academic instruction for 25 minutes when Beth, Suzie, Billy, Teddy, Christian, Jose, Fatima, Sue, Ishmael, Guadalupe, George, Elizabeth, Kate, Peter, and Sam each have their birthday celebration complete with cupcakes and punch
practice two fire drills and one earthquake drill each year
sit in an assembly for 45 minutes (x4) so that we can sell wrapping paper, cookies, candles, or gift cards
learn where to sit if we have to head to the principal's office with a referral
learn how to fill out a counseling form if we want to talk to the counselor
practice where to put our lunch boxes for three weeks
practice how to hang up our backpacks for three weeks
spend three weeks learning how to pass out and pass in papers
sit through a 45 minute class lesson (x13 years) on where my name should go on each of my papers
learn how to key in our school number at the library counter and the lunch line for three weeks
spend 20 minutes learning how to behave and how not to behave in the restrooms
go over school rules for 6 hours each school year
wait patiently doing nothing while Johnny gets sent to the office for bringing a knife to school--because the teacher has to call the principal personally, locate referral forms, fills it out, then send Johnny to the office [I used to be a public school teacher one of my students was expelled for knife possession--two years in a row. Fourth grade and fifth grade.]

I'll spare you the boredom here. You get my point. In a homeschool classroom my children are not subjected to these time wasters.

If you only spend two hours each day on core academics,
then your kid is getting exactly what mainstream America is getting.

For our family, we spend 4 hours on academics each day. That's it. Here's our schedule for this season:

Go where God leads, friends.

Because of His love,
Enjoy the journey,
Melissa Culver

San Francisco -- Part 2

2011-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Street performers are so cool. You absolutely have to believe that your craft is worth it to put your talent out on display like this again and again. And, in San Francisco you encounter such spectacular talent. Spectacular talent.

At one point they juggled these flaming torches
while riding on their unicycles.

Is this considered a wooden flute?
He performed such a beautiful tone with
this instrument.

Big K was frozen. He just stood there for nearly five minutes.
He was enchanted by the beautiful music.

She is standing on his shoulders.

He walked down those stairs while on his hands.

Yes, he is on a ball while she is on his shoulders.

Big R was able to take pictures with these performers
when they were done. She was beside herself with delight.
Can you see how huge her grin is?

This was wholesome entertainment. The kids thoroughly enjoyed it. And, I'll admit I was mesmerized myself.

Delighted,
Melissa

San Francisco -- Part 1

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Back in April we traveled to San Francisco. A friend of ours hooked up a group discount trip. We had a whole rail car to ourselves. We went up early in the morning and traveled back home that night. It was a long day, but it was well worth it. Here are a few of the images from our journey there...

Train crew member.

Amtrak commuter train.

View from the bus on the Bay Bridge.
Bus? In order to get over the bridge we had to transfer to buses.

Delighted,
Melissa

Classico Pasta Sauces

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I sent this email to Classico the other day:
Hello! I love your sauces. I have one suggestion:

Applesauce comes in small containers with foil lids. Four ounces. Absolutely perfect. I'd love if you could market your sauces that way as well.

So often I find that the unused portion goes bad in the fridge after first use and I have to toss most of it. The small four-ounce foil packs would be perfect for our family. Just the right portion. Can't wait to see this on store shelves someday. Thanks!

What are your thoughts? Would that be a good fit for your family?

And, feel free to encourage your kids to write to companies with their ideas. This is a fantastic writing prompt for children! Remember K's letter to M&M Mars?

By the way, companies will typically send you really awesome coupons when you send them ideas or comments about their products. You can do this online or via the 1-800 number on the package. I already have my coupons from Heinz for the above comments. Wow, that was fast. Thank you, Heinz!

Joyfully,
Melissa Culver

Take Pictures of Your Kids

2011-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Honestly, you don't have to be a professional photographer to be qualified to take pictures. Just take pictures, really. Years from now you'll be glad you did.

The boys were in our front yard when I took these--before church on a Sunday.

The open field pictures are just beyond our fence line--just a short walk. Simple. Easy. Right by our own house. (Oh, and these were taken before Little R received her glasses.)

So, grab your camera this week and take some pictures of your kids. And, if you still feel intimidated, then find a high school kid in your homeschool group, church, or local area who is willing to take some pictures for you for cheap or free. If not this week, then put it on your calendar to do is soon--and keep the appointment. You'll be glad you did.

What editing program did I use? Adobe Lightroom 3.4. As a homeschool educator I was able to pick it up with the Educators' Discount. Want the Educators' Discount too? Click here for more information.

Joyfully,
Melissa

How On Earth Do You Find The Time?

2011-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

The question is: How on earth do I find the time to memorize scripture? Great question. One time-saving tool I use is this: memorize scripture when I'm on the elliptical. This is what it looks like:

And if exercising isn't a part of your weekly plan, I highly recommend it. It invigorates the mind. It increases blood flow and circulation. It strengthens the muscles. It burns calories. It's just plain good for you. (As always, chat with your doctor before starting an exercise program.)

I talked about these flashcards in this earlier post.

Joyfully,
Melissa

Next Time I'll Try Harder

2011-06-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

When we were at the blueberry patch my oldest son said, "Mom, wouldn't it be great if we picked some of these awesome blueberries for a homeless man?!" His enthusiasm blanketed the entire field of berries. He nearly jumped off the ground with delight when he said this.

"Why, yes, it would be. Yes, we should," I replied.

"OK, mom! Let's do it!" he radiantly declared with unbridled enthusiasm.

I know what it's like to be a joy-killer. There have been times where I have said, "No," to someone's joy-filled excitement about giving something away--my daughter's mostly. They have some trinket or item or article of clothing around the house that they want to give away to Miss Robin, or Miss Lisa, or someone else they absolutely adore. And too many times I have said, "No, honey, that is too special to give away."

Why do I do that? Why at the very moment that my child wants to practice sacrificial giving do I have to douse her hopes with cold water? It comes early, doesn't it? They learn it from us, don't they? I breathlessly figured that out a few months back. I am trying harder to let the sacrificial giving continue. To fan the flames. To shatter the knee-jerk reaction of tossing cold water on it all.

Silently I thought to myself: Yes, son, we can spend $3.00 on organic blueberries for someone who has nothing to eat. Or a bed to sleep on at night. Or a clean pair of clothes. We can give out of our abundance to someone who has nothing. Yes, we can.

So, on our ride home I stopped on the other side of the road--because that's the direction we were traveling. I rolled down the window. We waited for the traffic to stop. I handed him the blueberries. "Wow, organic blueberries. I love organic. Thank you!" he said with a smile.

Next time I'll try harder to fan the flame.

Humbly,
Melissa Culver

Blueberry Pie

2011-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

So, when you pick 10 pounds of blueberries, what do you do with them? We made a pie. Next time I won't use tapioca as my filler I will use cornstarch. The kids were thrown off by the texture. I loved it, honestly. I suppose if I were really selfish I'd always make it that way to ensure that I would be able to enjoy most of it, but that's not fun at all. The kids helped make the pie. We had a great time working on it together. Such a sweet team to work with. So helpful.

And this time, Big R took pictures of the pie process. She is beginning to really enjoy photography. I think she may get an inexpensive point and shoot one of these days as a starter camera. We'll have to see. For now, she uses my Canon EOS DSLR.

I didn't tell you, our littlest broke my 18-55 lens about three weeks ago. Yes. It was so sad. But, I praise God that I have a 35-80 that works fine with my camera. So, Lord willing, I'll be able to purchase a used 18-55 one of these days. I can't begin to tell you how much more I enjoyed my 18-55 lens. But, I'll wait for His provision and His time.

Pie! Yes! Pie. Here you go:

Thinking about making another one,
Melissa Culver

Blueberries

2011-06-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

We had a great time out at the U-Pick Blueberry Patch just a few weeks back. Take a look:

Did you know that blueberries contain zinc? They sure do. And, did you know that a long shoot from a "mother plant" can be shoved down into the ground to create a new plant? Yes, it can. And, did you know that the outer powdery coating of the blueberry can be rubbed off? You are then left with a shiny, dark, blue berry. But, they don't sell that well at market that way. People like the powdery outer-coating. It's called the "mother."

The kids totally want to go back for more. However, we have to finish off the 10 pounds we picked before we go back for more. We stuck a bunch in the freezer and we'll enjoy them frozen on a hot, hot day.

If you want to take your crew out to get some blueberries, call
Tom "The Blueberry Man" (in Atwater, CA) at
(209) 617-0004 -- cell
(209) 358-0576 -- home

Delighted,
Melissa Culver

Frontloading

2011-06-17T06:00:00.002-07:00

In the world of education we find the term "frontloading" or "front loading" or "front load." This concept comes from this:

any type of construction-related equipment
that acquires or carries something in the front.

So, when you prepare students for something new and you give them a good amount of information in advance, you are frontloading that child/learner/student.

For example, if you take your children to a farm you may study cows, pigs, chickens, horses, almonds, carrots, or bees before you go. Or, if you go to an Italian restaurant you may talk to your students about bread, pasta, tomato sauce, pizza, calzone, and the like--before you go. To front load is to provide information on the front of the lesson for further understanding.

When I was brand new to homeschooling I sat through an introductory "Welcome to Homeschooling" talk and the woman shared how the field trip would be the climax or the end of the lesson. I asked, "Or, could you front load with a hands-on approach prior to doing your research? Your field trip would be the first thing you do in this model of learning." I don't really know what she thought of my question, really. It, however, didn't appear to turn into a lengthy dialogue.

I say all of this to say this: Think outside of the box. From time to time it's fully OK to get your kids excited about something by taking them somewhere first. Then, you can further explore their questions on the ride home or when you arrive home. I'll warn you: Your kids may not sound crazy smart when you arrive at XYZ field trip. And, that's OK. They don't need to. They aren't parrots or show dogs for that matter. They're kids.

Remembering to enjoy the journey,
Melissa Culver

Gratitude and Counting...

2011-06-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

My list continues...

101. answered prayer--
Esteban will be coming off his seizure medication soon.

102. and more answered prayer--
My cousin's son made it through chemo with flying colors.

103. It's the drawing near to Him that sets us free.

104. He cleans us up on the inside.

105. the beauty of His heavens

106. when learning is delicious

107. heroism

108. sacrifice

109. my great-grandmother's faithful
prayers for her entire family

110. Ephesians 2:1-9

111. the boy-filled energy of my Big K

112. It's quite easy to replace some things.

113. solitude

114. mud is just plain awesome

115. life is precious

116. amazing curriculum that makes my homeschool experience easier

117. God's awesome provision

118. His life and His death

119. she can see

120. building new relationships

121. everywhere He's taken me

122. and the road that lies ahead

Here are the links for my previous posts:
Post 1. Post 2. Post. 3. Post 4. Post 5. Post 6. Post 7. Post 8.

With humble gratitude,
Melissa Culver

Big K's Pen Pal

2011-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

During the school year the kids wrote to pen pals at a local retirement facility. Big K was able to meet his pen pal face-to-face the other day.

She is 102 years old. Yes, one hundred and two years old. Unbelievable.

She hand painted this shirt for Big K. How sweet is that? And, wow! She is talented. Great job, BJ!

How are you encouraging your kids to write?

Delighted,
Melissa Culver.

A Few More Books

2011-06-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

Here are a few of the books I'm reading:

I have not started Trusting God yet, but I will start it shortly. And some of these books really need time to sink in. But in an intense master's degree program sometimes you need to read a full book in just three days. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go back to a few of these and linger over the richness of the truths presented there. Great stuff. Great, great stuff. Powerful. Beautiful.

Here's another amazing resource I'm reading through. It's a compilation of articles published in The Journal for Biblical Counseling. I can sum this read up in one word:

phenomenal.

What will you be reading this summer?

Because of His grace,
Melissa

Why Death?

2011-06-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever pondered death, deeply? Have you ever pondered why God found it necessary for people to die? Maybe you pondered this detail when someone you loved so much passed in such a heart-wrenching way. Or, maybe you just wondered for the purpose of wondering. Curious, really.

Death.

Scripture says this about death:
1 Corinthians 15:50-58 "⁵⁰ Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, ⁵² in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³ For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. ⁵⁵ O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; ⁵⁷ but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

His death made reconciliation possible--us to Him. His dying made my living possible. He paid the price. Paid it all. With His sacrifice. On the cross. His life. His death. His resurrection. From the grave.

So, you see, without death we'd have no payment for our sin. No Sacrificial Lamb. No up-from-the-grave moment. No Conqueror of Death. No victory over the grave. No parallelism for us to grasp.

Colossians 2:9-14 "⁹ For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; ¹¹ and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. ¹³ When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, ¹⁴ having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

Ephesians 2:1-9 " ¹ And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, ² in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ³ Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; ⁹ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. "

Without death we have no clue what it means to really be alive. Back in Ephesians did you catch this part: "But God, being rich in mercy, ... made us alive together with Christ"? How could alive make sense in the absence of death? Alive represents a secondary condition. If God made us ______ then something different had to exist prior to ________. So, if God made us alive (and He did) then alive was different from dead. Change took place.

Don't get it yet? Here try this: If I held up a pink flower and said, "Look! I made this pink flower pink." You'd think I was weird. You'd probably say, "It was already pink. You didn't do anything." And that right there is my point. He makes us alive. And prior to being alive we were....dead.

His death. His resurrection. His life. His sacrifice. For me. For you. For us.

Thank you, Lord. Thank you.

For the Cross,
Melissa Culver

Sweats to Shorts

2011-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

My daughters are in gymnastics. I like that they have covers over their leotards when they are in route to and from gymnastics. Any shorts will do. On one occasion my youngest daughter was instructed to have black shorts for an event. We weren't able to find any in her size that worked perfectly as athletic shorts. So, we went to Wal-Mart and picked up an inexpensive pair of black sweats.

I cut them:

pinned them and sewed them:

So, what do you think?

Sew Delighted,
Melissa Culver

Little R Has Glasses

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Someone special in our house now has glasses.

You guessed it. Little R now has glasses. I am thrilled that she has an opportunity to see more clearly!

She was diagnosed with 20/60 vision in one eye and 20/70 vision in the other. It now makes sense why she was so fiercely opposed to reading this year. I didn't think that vision was an issue for her because she was doing so well in everything else. She even finished hear entire math book early this year--with flying colors. She understands the elementary principles of the alpha code (letter system). Glasses? Never dawned on me.

Well, we can't really fire her teacher (LOL). But, praise the Lord we have a remedy.

And I must say I think she looks amazing in her glasses. What a sweet, sweet girl.

Totally not fired--this year,
Melissa Culver

Homeschool Conference 2011

2011-06-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

I am blessed by the number of families who are going to be homeschooling their children next year for the first time. I just found out about a sixth family who is jumping in--brand new--here in Merced. Absolutely wonderful! This is a spectacular journey and so beautiful for so many reasons.

So, if you are new to homeschooling or a veteran and you are in the Central Valley (CA) I encourage you to be a part of this spectacular resource.

It's the Home Education Convention.

I've gone twice and I was blown away both times. Overwhelmed the first time. Encouraged, blessed, and convicted the second. Just absolutely wonderful stuff happens there.

Come join us. See what homeschooling is all about.

Joyfully,
Melissa Culver

Get Rid Of The Ring

2011-06-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

My kids are growing in their independence. Some days they get tasks done with excellence and other days--not so much.

So, here I am making their toilet sparkle. It looked like this:

And I took it to this:

The stone in my hand is this:

I buy my pumice stones at the local dollar store. Maybe your dollar store carries them too.

So, if your toilet has a ring, I recommend this.

Joyfully,
Melissa Culver
Google Search Terms: toilet, clean a toilet, how to clean a toilet, getting rid of the ring in a toilet, pumice stone

Reading Happens

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

When your infant-now-toddler grows up in a home where there are books it's just plain natural that he'll pick up books and explore them too.

One morning I caught him "reading" to his siblings:

I'm so glad he likes books,
Melissa Culver

The Library

2011-06-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our family enjoys the library. We go about 8-10 times a year. We tend to check out 30+ books when we go. We get to keep the books for three weeks. And, sometimes we renew those books online for an additional two weeks.

But, when we are at the library the kids enjoy computer time,

searching through the stacks,

playing on the indoor equipment,

looking at books,

rocking in the chair,

and exploring what books have to offer.

So, if you haven't checked out your local library I recommend it as a great summer activity (and all year long, really).

Joyfully,
Melissa Culver

Six Month Anniversary

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it myself, but today is the six month anniversary of the whole kidney thing. Yes! Six months ago we were all here:

And we lived through all of this:

Kim and Frank are doing great! Recovery has been outstanding. Kim has absolutely amazed all of the medical staff she works with. She has progressed along each stage of recovery with flying colors. Just beautifully (Thank you, LORD!). Frank's recovery is going well. His health is good. No news to report there.

Thank you, friends, for caring so much along the way. Your love, care, and generosity have been such a rich and beautiful blessing to our family. Thank you so much.

If you haven't been over to their blog, you can use this link here.

Because of His great love,
Melissa Culver