Art in Homeschool

Art in Homeschool

We are a homeschool family. We began homeschooling in 2009, when my youngest began preschool. She is now in the 7th grade, which is kind blowing to me! Our homeschool has taken many shapes over the years. Each of our daughters learn differently but, they all have some similarities as well. How does that even make sense? Well, it does to me, so I am going with it! ;)

One thing I have added for my youngest is Art Appreciation. We use "First Language Lessons" by Jessie Wise. Within the short lessons there is memorization, which is perfect for our 8 year old. The book, which I have on my Kindle Fire, also has artwork by various artists. The teacher asks the child questions pertaining to the artwork, such as, "You've learned that a noun is a person, place, place, thing, or idea. The master bedroom is a place. The dog is a living thing. Can you name three other things you can see in this paining? (Bauer, First Language Lessons, p. 48). The question pertains to the painting "Master Bedroom" by Andrew Wyeth. The book ties art interpretation with language arts.

This past year I came across a book titled "Come Look With Me" series by Gladys S. Blizzard. This series, each book on a different form of art, has beautifully colored copies of pieces of art. The first book we used focused on 12 artists and one of their famous pieces. The book gives the artist, the place where the art can be viewed, and a brief summary of the artist and the art piece. It also asks the child questions about the painting to help them interpret the art piece with adding questions to open their imagination.

We have recently began the "Come Look With Me" series book that focuses on landscape art. It has works of art by Vincent Van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keefe, and more. It is a series that I plan to keep purchasing to help encourage a love for art. This time exploring works of art is her favorite part of her school day. She loves it! I love that she is learning to view art and appreciate the work that was put into each piece.

I wanted to post some pictures I took of these books but, my computer is not cooperating with me. I hope you will give the books a look. They are very good. 

Sources:

Wise, Jessie. First language lessons for the well-trained mind. Level 1 / by Jessie Wise.

Blizzard, Gladys S. Come look with me: enjoying art with children. / by Gladys S. Blizzard.

Blizzard, Gladys S. Come look with me: exploring landscape art. / by Gladys S. Blizzard.

Brain Storming

I created this a few years ago. My babies are 12, 11, and 9 now. :)

Brain Storming

It’s Sunday morning, and I am still in my jammies. The news and weather is on the television, and I am brainstorming. Not the kind of brainstorming you are thinking, no, that would mean there is something productive going on. This brainstorming is more like a storm of thoughts running through my brain. It started a couple of hours ago when I tried to start figuring out how to pay off student loans, then on to the fear of not ever being able to retire, worrying about getting my girls into college (did I mention they are 9, 8, and 5?), the laundry that never gets completely done, the way I handled the stress yesterday. Have you ever been there? Trying to solve all of the problems in your own life in one “brainstorming” session?

The latter part of 2 Corinthians 10:5 says for us to take every thought captive to obey Christ. Oh how I wish I was great and perfect at doing this, but just like many, I am unable to do this…..at first. I would like to pass on to you how I handle taking every thought captive, and it is easier than you think.

1.      Get Up and Get the Word

Regardless of what time it is, when your brain is storming along, and you know it will not stop, get up and get the Word. God’s Word will settle you and slow your racing thoughts.

2.      Pray

It is not hard to just say “Jesus”. There are times when the fear of the future can cripple our thinking, and there are times when all we can do is call upon the name of Jesus. We are told numerous times in the Bible to call upon God, pray without ceasing. Do you know that even if we are not sure what to pray for, God has us covered? Get out your Bible and turn to Romans 8:26 and read. What does this tell us? It tells us that even if we cannot pray because we do not know where to begin, the Holy Spirit steps in and prays for us!

God in His infinite love for us knows that we have times where we cannot even begin to know what to say or pray for. He does not leave us alone to come up with words to say to Him. There will be times when our hearts are overwhelmed by many things, but we are never alone. Cry out to Him, pray to Him, and if you do not know what to pray for allow the Holy Spirit to pray for you.

Peace Scripture Writing Plan

https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/1daf96da-edae-4359-88af-037bb8e87e6b


I have attached a scripture writing plan on "Peace".

I am hoping this link works. I am a newbie at a lot of this stuff.

Hiking Day 2015

Hiking Day 2015

I asked Chris if he would like to go hiking with me at Robbers’ Cave today. I woke him up at about 9:15 or so this morning and I could already tell that he was not in a good mood. I thought about not doing it, but I knew that Chris would be adamant that we go, since it was something that was important to me. In my mind, I had this picture of us taking a stroll chit-chatting, just really having fun like we always do when we get to spend time together.

When we got out of the van, Chris took his phone and his ear phones, and that is when I knew things were not going to be exactly how I was picturing in my mind. We went the opposite direction that I ever do since, I usually never finish a hike due to lack of direction or some other excuse.

The hike started off okay, other than the silence. Chris and I did not do much talking at all, and at first I was disappointed, but then I tried to put myself in his place. Maybe, the silence was what he needed. At about 45 minutes in, I was getting tired and we decided to sit down at a spot that was very peaceful. Come to find out, Chris was not for the sit down and just chill out in the silence. Our lives seem to be totally opposite right now and I don’t like that.

This hike, ended up taking us right at about 2 hours due to our incessant need to see the finish line. We both were sure that the finish line could not be that much further. Is that not how we, Chris and I, view our own lives, every time life gets tough, so what do we do? We, in some ways give it up and find another color to follow, then another, then it was no longer a color but Trail 2B. During this time, I was doing what I could to hold back the tears because I was hurting so bad, and just wanted to stop and not go any further. I wanted to turn around and go back the way I came. 

Each step of this hike was shouting at me, that it was representative of our life at this moment. We are on this trail of life, following after God just knowing that the finish line is just ahead, but it’s not, it never is. So, what do we do? We go a bit further and the finish line is not there, then we find ourselves at a crossroad. We hem and haw. We question if what we are doing or where we are going is right. Do we make decisions together? Not really, each one defers to the other and then offers the support to work on some sort of follow through. I hurt so bad, my body ached so much, but still kept going. 

(2017) This hike took us on a 2-hour journey. One that showed me how I view my walk with God. I do not want to make the long trek. I want the immediate satisfaction of knowing that I am right where God wants me to be, now, not two hours from now, but now. I cannot say that this “journey” was therapeutic, but I did see how it really represented how I feel our life looked at the time. I still feel this way. Just when I think I have grown, I see something like this and realize I am still in my own 40-year wilderness. Going around and around in circles, never getting where I feel God wants me to be. I have to make the changes. I have to be the one to create success in my life. God never changes. He never moves from where He is, He does not have to. He is GOD! It’s about me making changes and, I have begun making changes. One of the changes I have made is scripture writing. I wake up in the morning. I make my daily “Zeal for Life”. I get my journal and my Bible app. I get on Pinterest and look up my September Scripture Writing and I write. I don’t just write. I really focus on what the scripture is telling me. I let it seep into my heart. I let it take root into my life and I live it daily. I am beginning to see myself through the eyes of my Creator, my Heavenly Father. The one who knew that my sin would keep me from Him, so He sent His Son to redeem me, not just me, but all of us on the earth. Make one change beginning today that will change the trajectory of your relationship with God. Maybe that is making time for prayer each day, no matter what. Maybe that is getting back to church every week. Maybe it is bringing your family together for Bible study and prayer. Do one thing! Let’s make changes together.

Insecurities

We all have a past. We have all made decisions that were not wise, some were even just plain dumb. In today’s society, it seems when we enter into a life-long committed relationship, we bring all of our hurts and insecurities with us. We even expect our partners to carry that baggage, too. How is this fair to the person we are to love and respect?

Insecurities abound in our lives. We gain them living in a world that is not nice, and that is an understatement. Some of us have lived our whole lives believing lies others have told us. The negative actions of others become our truths we believe of ourselves, even though there is no truth to be found. Bad parents who have berated their children and talked down to them, have instilled negative thinking that is usually carried into adulthood. Maybe you were bullied your whole life for insignificant reasons, for example, not owning the latest fashions or name brands. It is quite possible you were abused, physically, mentally or emotionally. Regardless of the how or the why, the majority of us have baggage.

Christians should have a different outlook on life than those who are not. We should view ourselves through the God lens. The patterns we have created to crawl our way through life seem to take precedence over His truths. His truths should mold and shape us. His truths should guide our every thought about ourselves. His truths should be how we approach life. His truths should determine how we treat others. His truths should be how we parent our children. His truths should shape our marriages. His Truths! His Truths! His Truths! I need to be standing on a mountain top shouting this to each and every one of you.

Don’t allow the world to determine your worth, only HIS TRUTHS!

Have Not Because You Have Not Asked........

You ask with the wrong motive! (James 4:3)

I created this in 2015. It was good to remind myself of how far God has brought me in my walk with Him. I hope it speaks to you as well. 

Chris’s family owned The Shepherd’s Staff for a few years. We were surrounded, day in and day out with God. Talk about a dream job. I am not sure exactly when it happened, or even why for that matter. We had individuals come, with the best intentions mind you, and they were on fire for God. They were loving and kind and vibrant and happy and at the time, I personally did not have a home church. I was not grounded in my relationship with God.

These individuals began to tell us that we could have anything we wanted if we had enough faith. They would quote scriptures left and right and made it sound incredibly fantastic. It was awesome, we could be rich, we could have the cars we wanted, just ask God. He will give it to you. “You have not because you ask not…” or God’s word says that if you ask anything in my name you will receive it. You have power, you rebuke the devil and he will flee from you, so guess what? I fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

Things began to go downhill for the store. There would be people who would come in the store and tell us that if we had the faith God was going to give you $100,000. You gotta have enough faith, you are not believing God enough, you are not doing this enough. Not enough, not enough, not enough, over and over this was told to us. Meanwhile, Connie’s health was deteriorating due to the stress of keeping this business open. We poured our heart out to God, please save the store. The attitude of the prayers was not God Your will be done, whatever that might be. No, the prayers were Keep the store open in the name of Jesus. Devil I bind you, devil get away, I will not allow you devil…….do you see something here? I, personally, began to talk to the devil more that I communed and conversed with my Savior. We kept on. We attended revivals of fellow believers determined to have enough faith for God to give them anything they wanted.

During this time, members of Chris’s family were members of a church that was facing a lot of turmoil. This turmoil left the church fractured, injured, which in turn fractured and injured individuals involved, top this off with having to face closing the store in which God had called this family to in the first place. This was a sad time in our lives. I cannot speak for them all personally, but for me, with the mindset that I kept at that time, I felt that I was not good enough. I had done all I knew to do, and still lacked the faith to keep the store opened or to be healed or to have all of the things I had told God that I wanted in His Son’s name.

Do you see the fallacy of my thought process or heart strings? We had gotten caught up in what fellow brothers and sisters in Christ were telling, even if they had the best of intentions. We knew that was what the scriptures told us, but we no longer went to God in prayer about serving Him. It was all about what God was going to do for us. There was a lot of family turmoil. We were broken and remained that way for a long time, and still deal with that today.

I do not remember when this happened, but there had come a time in my own life that I was still hanging on to having enough faith to get God to do things for me. I was in the midst of praying and asking and asking when in what I consider to be an audible voice, “I do not serve you, You serve me. I am not a genie in the bottle.” This stopped me dead in my tracks. Scriptures that I had not thought about or placed into context with what I was hearing began to play in my mind. God has given us all a measure of faith, Romans 12:3. Faith the size of a grain of mustard seed can move mountains. Do you not think that what I have given you will suffice? Is it a possibility that me saying no was not about how much faith you have?

Oh, you mean No is an answer too? You see, we had not, not because we did not ask, but I had failed to go on and read the remainder of that scripture. You have not because you have not asked, and even at that, your motives are wrong. You are not concerned about serving Me, child. You are concerned with getting what you want. You have lost sight of me being your first love. You have lost sight of the fact that there are many lost and hurting people who are in need of knowing Me. You have been so caught up in worrying about being enough that you lost sight of “It Is Finished”. What part are you not understanding? It is finished, we no longer have to be good enough. You are working for something you do not have to work for. My love is a gift and my love is complete. 

Keeping Them Content

Mamas, we know our families, or at least we should. We are the ones that keep our home life fueled, running as smoothly as we can make it. We know about what are kids are facing, their triumphs and struggles. We should know when our children are having issues with school and friends. We should take time to understand our husbands schedule and job. This will help us to help them learn to be content in all things. God called us to be helpers to our husbands. No, he did not call us to be doormats to our husbands. We are to help them, lift them up, encourage them, and sometimes get them back on track. 

Our homes should be a safe haven for our families to be exactly who they are. They should not have to put up any walls or pretenses in their own home. They should feel safe and secure to let their guard down and be open and honest about the goings on in their lives. It is our job to create this atmosphere. Our husbands should feel safe and secure to be vulnerable in your presence. He should feel that you are his safe place to not put on a front of who others think he should be. If he is frustrated with his job, he should be able to tell you this without feeling judged. Ladies, it is a lot to take on, but we should be ready for the task to help our family be content. 

Talk to your children individually. Ask them about their day. Talk to them about their friends. Ask the hard questions when necessary, but do not force them to answer. Sometimes, it takes some time to even have the answer to those hard questions, even more so for a child who is just now facing some tough decisions. Give wise advice, not emotional advice. We want to protect our children. We have a tendency to go to mama bear mode when our children are hurt. It is possible that the child on the other side of the situation is hurting just as much as your own child. It is hard to swallow words that we want to spew, but spewing those words do not help our child in their hurt. 

Get in tune with your husband, to the best of your ability. Ask him about his job and the goings on, but not right as he walks in the door. Give him some time to just sit and be quiet and tune out life for a little bit. Sit next to him on the couch, but do not say anything, unless he talks first. Ladies, we usually talk WAY more than them. Before you go to sleep, ask him how you can pray for him. If he does not know, just tell him to think about it and let you know. Don't force him or nag him about it. 

Keeping up with our family and their relationships outside of the family can help you keep track of the contentment in your home. Be there. Be engaged in each person in your household. You are the glue that holds it all together. You have God on your side to help you get through it!