A Net in Time

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Family Traditions

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Family Traditions is the theme of this week’s crew challenge.  It’s easy to talk about the things we do that help make our family special to us. Traditions are a huge source of comfort as we navigate life don’t you think?  A sense of familiarity even when everything it topsy-turvy.  Is it any surprise that people are starting to decorate for Christmas early?   In a year that’s been hard… family Christmas traditions help keep us centered on what’s important to us. Today we’ll talk about some of the traditions that are important to us.

family traditions

Mom, Can Grandma Come?

This was a question from my 15-year-old when he came home from grandma’s last week.  I must have looked a bit startled/confused… for he went on the explain. “Grandma wants to come and do some tidying and stuff so we can put up your village.  Can she come?”   My response was that “it is much too early for that”. 

I’ve thought about it since then and told the lad this morning that he should “call grandma up and figure out a day, you two can put up the village”.  It gives us something to look forward to don’t you think?  A bit of normalcy in a rather crazy year. 

Christmas Village

Christmas Devotions

You might call these advent devotions, but they help us focus on the true meaning of Christmas.   This year we’re doing on written by John Piper. It’s called Joy to the World. It’s put out by DesiringGod.org. 

Christmas Music Traditions

Every year on my blog I do Christmas music on the Sundays leading to Christmas.  One year I think I did one almost every day.  It was fun!  Anyways, beyond posting Christmas music on the blog I have a whole shelf full of Christmas music, and we often put on a long-playing YouTube video with Christmas music with a fireplace as the backdrop. 

Family Traditions – Baking

Just before I started writing this post I told my fellows that I’m starting to want to make Christmas cookies.  You know what?   They didn’t complain about that idea at all!  🙂 

I’ve shared some of the cookies we’ve made over the years.  I’ll probably make many of the same, though I just got a huge bag of mini rolos so might try my hand at Christmas cookies with them. 

Christmas Tree

I have to admit, I used to decorate the whole house with knick-knacks but I decided three years ago that as much as I like to, it’s just too much work.   I know I know… lazy of me isn’t it!?!?!   Part of that “too much work” was my tired hubby’s comments of “where is my _____” because I moved it to make room for my knick-knacks.   It’s more important to keep the peace than to rearrange the house AND end up with a frustrated fellow.  He works really hard and deserves less frustration when he’s home eh? 

BUT we do put up a tree.  We have tons of decorations, homemade, purchased or gifted.  Our tree changes every year.  Of course we have favourites (such as my joy snowmen) that go up every year, but the rest more or less rotate their way through. 

Before Christmas Tradition

One of our before Christmas Traditions is closing out our review year with the Homeschool Review Crew. I normally do a post with our favourites but I’ve decided to include them here.  It’s always good to have a break you know?  You can find the favourites of the crew in this post. 

Reviews that we did this year

Favourites from the year?  Simply Coding (the lad) and Journey Homeschool Academy (me). 

So what family traditions do you have during this holiday season?  Are you starting early? Have a favourite cookie recipe?  (if so, please share!  Good cookies are fun to make). Do you put up a tree?  Have a favourite ornament to share?  What makes Christmas a time of comfort for your loved ones?

November 2020

Review: Julie Naturally

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DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO WRITE A POSITIVE REVIEW NOR WAS I COMPENSATED IN ANY OTHER WAY.

Romans and Philippians are excellent books to study don’t you think?   At Julie Naturally, you will find bible studies suited to individual as well as small group endeavors. Julie Naturally focuses on homeschooling & unschooling, holy living and wholistic health.  Come along as we learn more about her faith journey bible studies. 

Julie Naturally Review

What I am Reviewing

Julie Naturally, produced by Julie Polanco, comprises the two studies that we are reviewing today.  They are Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Romans bundle which continues video and PDF studies and Faith Journeys Bible Study Series: Philippians which just has PDF lessons. Romans is an 8-week study, Philippians is four weeks.  

Both studies are promoted as  appropriate for more mature believing moms.  Hard-working mom can, over the course of a week, complete each lesson. Each daily exercise contains 3-5 questions each day.  

What do you get?

The Romans study comes with video along with the bible study that comes as a PDF file.  The Philippians study, though it mentions video, at this time only comes as a PDF bible study. 

Program highlights include

Bible verses that are dated per week, and set up to be cut for easy placement in a wallet or elsewhere for putting God’s word deeper into your heart.  The verses are short and easy enough to memorize. 

At the end of each week in both studies, a colouring page is provided.  Romans used words, Philippians hearts. 

Each week is broken into six days.  Each day has scriptures that must be read. Often there is a brief explanation that highlights key details.  Following the explanation are questions that require you to not only think about the verses but to apply them in our lives.   You can do the studies as expected (six days per week) or complete them all in one sitting. Each day’s work does not take long to complete. 

The Romans study also provides videos to go with each weekly lesson.  The videos are about 10 minutes each.  The video for week four was missing for me.  Occasionally it seemed like something was missing from the video.  

You can purchase the Philippians for $8.49 as a digital download. The study is 45 pages long. Romans costs $24.99, and is 97 pages long. 

How did I use Julie Naturally?

I predominately used the Romans Study, listening to the video as I was sat on my stationary bike. 

Then over the course of the week I would work on the bible study. I loved that I didn’t have to print it off and could write my answers directly on the computer.  It made it so easy to take 5 or 10 minutes to learn something more about God’s word. 

My Thoughts

I LOVE that the PDF’s are fully editable.  This means I don’t have to print out the study in order to use it.  I would need to do so if using for a group bible study but on my own, just being able to type in my thoughts, gold!

The Faith Journeys bible study in Romans or Philippians would be ideal for women looking for an introductory study. The mix of textual and personal questions will be edifying. The videos may be hit or miss, Julie had good information to share, but didn’t always organize her thoughts well. 

For middle or high school students, these studies would work quite well.  Helping these young women to dig deeper into their faith, learning to question their attitudes and actions, in the light of scripture. 

One thing that Ms. Polanco brings is a fresh perspective.  Every bible study a person engages in always brings something new to the table.  These studies are an affordable option for seeing something new in God’s Word. 

Julie Naturally Review

Where to Find Julie Naturally

Website: https://www.julienaturally.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julienaturally
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/julienaturally
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/successful.unschooler
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/julienaturally
Podcast: https://crunchychristianpodcast.com

40 members of the review crew took in the Romans-Philippians bundle from Julie Naturally.  Click on the image below to read them. 

Give Thanks to the Lord

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So I’ve been debating this topic from the crew “Give Thanks to the Lord” for a couple of weeks now.  Should I do a light airy piece on all the things that I am thankful for, things that are important but not on the forefront of my heart; OR should I write what’s on the forefront of my heart knowing there are those who won’t understand it but might possibly help others?  OR should I make it homeschooling focused since this blog really is about faith AND homeschooling?   I guess you’ll have to read on to see what I do eh?  🙂 

give thanks to the Lord

The other day I was reading a devotional that talked about how so often when we read or teach bible stories we look for the actions of people.  We often fail to look at what a bible story reveals about God.  God’s word is actually all about God.  Stories might lighten the reading, but at the end of the day… the bible is the story of God’s glory revealed. 

It’s good to keep that thought in mind as one considers how one would give thanks to the Lord for the events or things in life. 

Affiliate links will be used. 

The Things of Life

There are things in life that I am ever so thankful for.  Big things like friends, a church to attend, service opportunities. Medium things like a house to live in, work to do, food to eat. And then the copious little things.

  • My tea maker – I love drinking cold tea and having a pitcher dedicated to the making of it.  Marvellous!
  • Our keurig machine – hot chocolate and bouillon… totally does me a solid good. 
  • Gardening.  Love getting plants growing, and working with dirt, and everything involved with that. Making relishes and canning.  🙂 
  • My tablet.  Ever so helpful for trying out new recipes.  Much easier to read than my phone. 
  • Contigo water bottles.  They hold my tea nicely.  🙂 
  • My fellows working together.  Can’t ask for much better. 

Homeschooling

Thankfulness for the ability to homeschool.  I give thanks to the Lord for:

  • in a province with few rules about homeschooling
  • in a current crisis, we have a government actually helping parents in the form of grants who need to homeschool 
  • for a school board that allows my son to take courses, I can’t easily figure out how to teach
  • in a time and age where schooling is available in many different formats: video, text, audio.   Textbooks, PDF’s, USB, online.  
  • Support provided quickly and easily.  Tonight on a Facebook group for SchoolhouseTeachers.com I saw a mom struggling with algebra get direct help on answering a question. 
  • for a lad who has fully embraced independence in his schooling. 

Rabbits and Other Critters

I know, I know, rabbits are neither homeschool or faith, but they are very much a part of my life.  🙂   BUT I promise they do have a homeschooling connection!

From the bunnies:

  • bunny education classes
  • finances to provide homeschooling materials
  • education in running a small business
  • joy in having furry beasts to care for
  • seeing God at work in ways unexpected
  • friends to make
  • skills to develop

The other critters

  • cats!  oh my.. the cats are both a source of vexation and laughter.   Lizzy too smart for her own good, Milo getting old and losing strength of body and mind. 
  • Snake: Fireheart has taught us so much about her needs, her abilities, and just how interesting it is to have a pet snake. 
  • Budgies: the sadness of loss when they die, the joy when you convince a scaredy-cat bird to land on a finger, the remembering to provide care, the laughter when she squawks to unique noises, it’s good
  • Makes me remember how in the bible it says that if people won’t praise God, the world around us will do so. 

Parenting

If anything has caused me the hardest time, it’s parenting.  My lad was relatively easy as a child growing up.  He’s proving to be a more difficult teen making decisions that hurt my heart deeply. But in that struggle, there are things in which to give thanks to the Lord for;

  • he is currently still at home, directly under the care of people who love him and will continue to pray for him, and talk with him. 
  • my prayer life has more than tripled.
  • my understanding of the deep hurt that parents can feel over the actions of their children has quadrupled. 
  • how alone one can feel, and how God says “hey, I’m here” into the quietness of one’s heart.
  • even in hurt, one can express gratitude, because God’s hand can still be seen.
  • friends are sometimes unexpected blessings, sending links that help a heart.

How about you?  What is in your life that you can give thanks to God for?   Do they help you see him more clearly?

November 2020

Going Down the Rabbit Hole! (How to Create a Unit Study for your Homeschool)

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Welcome with me Yvie to my blog today!  She’ll be talking about How to create a unit study for your homeschool. 

Unit studies provide an in-depth (and often hands-on) approach to learning about any topic your students are interested in, providing individualized instruction and instilling a love of learning! 

It may seem overwhelming at first, but creating a unit study is easier than you think! There are just five simple steps to creating a unit study…

How to Create a Unit Study for your Homeschool

What Will You Study?

What is your child interested in? Unit studies are an excellent schooling method for child-led families! To begin, choose one of your child’s interests (e.g., dinosaurs, princesses, Minecraft) and create studies around it. These might include science, history, geography, math, writing, literature, or life skills…anything relating to the topic!

If you want to do regular unit studies, keep a running list of ideas to pull from, and try to plan a couple of weeks in advance. This will give you time to gather the needed materials. Elementary and middle schoolers are going to have more leeway with unit studies, while high schoolers will need more stringent activities to keep up with graduation requirements.

How Much Time Will You Devote To This Unit?

A unit study planner is a must! This one covers a full year, with room for five in-depth units, one per season plus two in the summer. This is a good pace for unit studies if you are using them to complement the regular curriculum. If your entire curriculum is unit studies, you’re going to want to do a couple each month.

Deciding which route to take depends on your schooling style. If you prefer a regular curriculum, but want to incorporate Fun Fridays, you’ll want the relaxed pace. If you prefer a child-led, or interested-based, school, then the more aggressive approach to unit studies will be a better fit.

Either way, the Unit Study Planner is a good place to get organized with the first few units you cobble together. It includes pages for monthly, weekly, and daily unit study plans – this way you can choose the schedule which works best for you! Once you’ve got a few units under your belt, you’ll discover which groove works best for your family!

What Activities Do You Want To Do?

Are you a bookish family? Do you tend toward the outdoors? Prefer to learn through video? Choose something that is the base for your unit….your ‘spine,’ if you will. If you’re a travelling family, you might have location or event-based studies, such as the Boston Tea Party, NASA Space Center, or the Gettysburg Address.

No matter what you choose, you’ll want to include a few basic components:

  • Books – Visit the library and find a selection of fiction and non-fiction books related to the topic. Bonus points for learning to use the card catalog!

  • Videos – There’s nothing like visual representation of more difficult concepts, so scout DVDs and YouTube for related videos.

  • Field Trips – A day trip to the zoo or science museum, or even a longer overnight trip to a big attraction…all of these fit the bill.

  • Hands-on Activities – No one likes sitting at a desk all day, so get up and make something! This might include STEM kits, cooking projects, or art projects.

How to Create a Unit Study for your Homeschool

Schedule or Fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants?

For my personality, there’s no question here…being Type A, I’m always going to answer ‘schedule.’ But maybe you prefer to wing it. That’s ok…that’s the beauty of homeschooling! You get to tailor things to your family.

Whatever your method, you’re going to need to plan at least a little bit…if for no other reason than to have the necessary items to complete your unit. You’ll need to know what ingredients / materials are needed for hands-on projects, and also what resources (books, dvds, etc) are needed for the research and informational portion of the unit study.

You’ll probably want to know ahead of time where the museum is and when it’s open…though you might just get in the car and decide to impulsively visit. It happens. Choose which method works best for you, and your family, and roll with it.

Are You Keeping Track?

Record-keeping doesn’t have to be difficult, especially with elementary and middle school students. The creation of a lapbook or notebook adequately shows what they have learned. With upper grades students, a portfolio that includes books read, photographs of hands-on activities, and research projects will document the unit.

Need Some Help Getting Started?

Homeschool On the Range has several pre-made unit study bundles in their Cottage Shoppe! These are literature-based units that cover vocabulary, critical thinking, history, geography, and learning through hands-on activities. Use coupon code NOVELSTUDY50 to snag your bundle at 50% off through March 31st, 2021! 

Yvie is a veteran homeschooling mom and the high school counselor for The Homeschool House, a non-profit organization.  She helps to create unit studies and enjoys helping other families on their homeschool journey.  When not teaching or counseling, she enjoys reading, spending time in her garden, and traveling the country with her boys.  You can find her at Homeschool On the Range, on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

Harvest Time Decor

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The Home School Review crew has issued the challenge for today… harvest time decor!   I saw that and thought GAH I haven’t a clue.  I’m really not a decorator for things like that.  I do Christmas cause it’s easy, but any other seasonal/holiday thing, it’s just really not my thing.   

I talking with my tenant that this week’s challenge and her prompt response was “oh, that’s easy!   Can I write it for you?”  Never one to turn down a freely offered gift I said “sure!”   So here goes her post: 

Harvest Time Decor

There is a ton of decorations for Harvest time.

Let’s start with nature and the beauty of the leaves turning colour. I’ve seen a mountainside with a green background and coloured trees throughout with the greenish-blue of the Atlantic Ocean, and the blue of the sky…magnificent!

Harvest Time Decor

We try to bring that beauty inside when harvest time comes around. Yes, in spring and summer we may bring in the odd bouquet of flowers, but it’s not like harvest decorating. We bring in gourds, pumpkins, corn and corn stalks, hay bales, and let’s not forget the cornucopia, also known as the Horn of plenty.

A cornucopia is an assortment of fruit. It’s a familiar part of harvest time decor. When referring to the horn of plenty, it is a basket, shaped like a horn, and fill with the freshness of harvest.  You’ll find pumpkins, fruit, dates, grapes, apples, gourds, squash and more.  The abundance of harvest for all to see.

That is what I would like to focus on. What kind of fruit is in your cornucopia?

white and orange pumpkins on table
Photo by Anna Tukhfatullina Food Photographer/Stylist on Pexels.com

Pruning for More Fruit

In John 15, Jesus talks about branches that bear no fruit are taken away, branches that bear good fruit, are pruned, so they can yield more fruit the next harvest.

John 15:1-2  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 

The first idea I have here is that we often equate pruning with something bad. Granted the bad fruit needs to be taken care of, but in this instance, Jesus doesn’t talk about bad fruit, but good fruit.

When gardening, there are some plants that must have the fruit harvested in order to produce more fruit. If the fruit is left and not harvested, the next yield will be stunted, or the fruit will go bad. So, when a pruning or plucking happens in your life, deal with it willingly, not willfully. (That right there will show you the condition of your fruit).

close up photo of grape fruit
Photo by Henri Guérin on Pexels.com

Consider then the branches

Next, Jesus talks about the relationship between the branches and the tree.

John 15:4-8 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

This is an allegory of our individual relationship with God. I know no one is perfect. We all have shortcomings. It’s how we deal with those shortcomings, though. If we are properly grafted into the root of God and His Word, then we are always dealing in humility and repentance. (Now in this let us not forget the apostle Paul’s words in Romans 6. We don’t purposely sin to make grace abound). Our relationship with God is of the utmost importance. It is up to us to keep it healthy, not someone else. To abide in Him, and He in you is a lifestyle of perpetual awareness of what God has for you.

Taking Stock

Now I am going into a possibly sore area.

What condition is your fruit? Is it fresh and useable, or does it resemble plastic fruit? Fake it ‘til you make it type thing?

I remember as a child I got plastic fruit confused with real. My mother informed me of the truth, and I learned a lesson. Not all fruit is real. We often talk about bad fruit, but what about fake fruit?

I know life is hard at times and we need a break. That is okay. It is better to take a break than to fake being okay and producing fake fruit.

The bottom line is, we are so wanting a harvest and for God to use us, we move ahead without letting our fruit mature. We think we have developed well, but our fruit is artificially ripened fruit. We have the power, but not the authority. Authority we would properly obtain with properly ripened fruit.

So, this harvest time, as you look around at all the harvest time decor, take time to consider what kind of fruit is in your cornucopia.

Is it going to be helpful, well developed and nourishing for you and others around you, or will it be a little off and sour?

When the fruit of the spirit is healthy and well developed, we can then proceed to call in the harvest. Are you ready?

November 2020

Some May Trust in Horses

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I was doing a whole day of running around the other day. Travelling along   which is sometimes a good thing, and sometimes it just isn’t.  I have been struggling lately with some anxiety/stress and have been wanting to retreat into myself.  To fight that impulse I thought I would play music loudly so I could hear the words well and sing along.  This song, Some May Trust in Horses, came up and I was just what I needed.  Such a good reminder of just who I really do trust in. 

Some May Trust in Horses

Lyrics

Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots.
But we will trust in the name of our God.
Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots.
But we will trust in the name of our God.
 
In the name of Jesus our salvation lies
He will hear from heaven to answer every cry
 
By the blood of Jesus, sins are washed away
We sing for joy to God our strength
His banner we wave, we wave

History and Author

All I can find for this song is that it was generally performed by Bob Fitts.  As to who wrote it?  I really don’t know.   

It does come directly from scripture.

Psalm 20:7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Pondering

As I ponder this word Trust, it makes me think about just what people trust in.  In this song it mentions horses and chariots.   But what else might people trust in?

I was watching Frasier (tv show) the other night and Frasier realized he didn’t know who he was outside of being a psychiatrist, it’s been his definition of himself for years and years.  I know from watching this show it’s his default position to fall into.  So it’s like he’s trusting in psychiatry to see him through.  He came to a point when he realized it wasn’t enough. 

What do you trust in?  Sex, work, science, helpfulness, doing right, understanding people or life processes, or even your own work ethic?  What do you think will get you through in life? What, in your mind, holds the answers? 

Over the years, I’ve learned that trusting in God is what will see you through in the end. Have you discovered this truth yourself?

My Friendship Journal

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Are you looking at learning Spanish? Searching for a fun way to add organic learning opportunities?  Or perhaps you have a new Spanish friend and you want to explore each others cultures!   Enter in My Friendship Journal.  This is a bilingual guided journal, a simple way to increase your Spanish vocabulary. 

My Friendship Journal

The Details

Notebook Doodles My Friendship Journal/Mi Diario de Amistad: A Bilingual Guided Journal is a 128-page hardcover journal.  It’s part of the Notebook Doodles series put together by Jess Volinski.

From the Cover: Intentionally designed to build self-esteem in young girls, Notebook Doodles (R) Mi Diario de Amistad (My Friendship Journal) is a bilingual guided journal filled with fun activities and inspiring prompts. Each charming, middle-school-friendly activity features directions and questions in both English and Spanish, from completing sentence prompts, creating secret codes, and reflecting on what kids like best about their friends, to describing memories, designing fashion, and associating pictures with their personalities.

I love the bright colours found throughout.  You’ll find every colour of the rainbow contained within the pages of this hardcover journal. Flowers, banners, lined pages, and assortment of graphics. 

I love the options for journaling.  This is no ordinary journal filled with lines upon lines to fill.  Yes!  There are lines to fill, after all a journal must be written in right?  But the graphics add a fun touch don’t you think?

See the beauty in the banners?   See how easy it would be to practice your Spanish or English?  Or the joy of sharing thoughts with a good friend?

Quiet Fox Designs are the publishers of this lovely tome. I am reviewing for Fox Chapel Publishing. A pretty book that will build confidence in each journalist.  Helping them to dig deep into thoughts and memories.  I can well imagine the laughter that would come for 8-9 year olds completing it.  

Should You Get My Friendship Journal?

I like this journal.  The graphics are appealing, the font easy to read, and the prompts are appealing.  Primarily, I see My Friendship Journal as a girl’s journal. Predominately for use between two girls, but with room to include others as well. 

I love the mix of English and Spanish.  I could easily see someone using this journal simply to either practice their new skills in either language.  For many of the pages, it wouldn’t be hard to cover up the one you know.  Teachers might find it helpful to use some of the prompts in their ESL or Spanish classes.