Monday, May 13, 2013

Our Little School at Home: Rev to Rev Complete! LHFHG Continues..

We finished! We finished! School ended last week. What an incredible year of growth for my sons.

Rev to Rev Year Summary:

Joshua loved, LOVED, LOVED this year of study. He claims it is his favorite guide so far.

We finished the year reading and discussing George Washington Carver. Such a great book to end the year on - full of godly character: faith, resourcefulness, diligence, sacrifice...and the list goes on.

Joshua enjoyed the bible study, but found it a little light - not the study, but perhaps the scheduling of the materials. I think this was an attempt to keep our days balanced, so he completed a study on the book of Matthew alongside the study of Hebrews this year. He also participated in Bible quizzing, memorizing a majority of the book of Matthew. (Okay, proud mama moment - his team placed first for the year!!)

He really enjoyed Draw & Write through History. I am so thankful that we were introduced to this resource. Joshua has taken up drawing and sketching as a result. He has purchased some great art supplies and instructional books to continue his study. I have to say - huge GROWTH in this area. When we started HOD with Preparing Hearts for His Glory, Joshua HATED drawing - especially from this series. BUT now, after having stuck with it, he LOVES it and is EXCELLING.

The state study was also a hit. Joshua really enjoyed learning about the states and daily came to recite some ridiculous law that the state had at one time or another. We shared quite a few chuckles.

The American Testimony dvds were also a great hit. Once in awhile, a segment would not grab his attention & he would complain - but then again, we are doing school, not trying to entertain him! The videos did lead to some great narrations and discussions. One resource I wouldn't want to skip - even on those "not-so-exciting" segment days!

Little Hearts for His Glory

Jacob and I are continuing LHFHG next fall. I am not planning to finish it in the fall, so we are taking our time. We have loved it! Somersaulting through the months of the year, memorizing Scripture and the rhymes made our year so fun. Jacob has enjoyed the science and art activities...but his favorite part of our day is the time he gets to curl up in my lap for reading - History, the Thornton books or ANY of the resources. He doesn't care what we are reading...he just loves to be read to. He is really struggling to read himself, but he is pretty young yet, so I am not too stressed yet. I was hesitant to use Singapore math because friends who have used it haven't like it...but we are enjoying it..and most importantly, my little guy is understanding the lessons!

LHFHG has been a breath of fresh air. I used a different curriculum for my oldest, and he sits in on the Thornton Burgess books...he gets a kick out of them (and he is 13). Too funny! He also jumps in and does the rhyme with us when we are doing something like somersaults. I have to admit - sometimes the actions distract us and we spend far more time on the rhyme than necessary - but we are having FUN and LEARNING!

LOVE MY KIDS!!




...because of Christ

I remember him so clearly...Juan, that is...even though it has been over twenty years since I met him. Then, he was a small ten year old boy wandering the boardwalk of an ocean-side New Jersey town. Alone. That always stands out to me. His big brown eyes looked up at me as he smiled full. My friend had just shared the good news of Jesus Christ with him...and he was excited, overwhelmed. He understood the hope. He immediately invited us - begged us - to come to his home: "Won't you come and tell mi mama? Por favor, please...she needs to know." Those big brown eyes began brimming with tears. It was like we had offered him a lifeline and he knew it. He knew that this one thing, this one Person held the power to change everything. And Juan was clinging to us because we knew Him...and maybe, maybe this One could change his life too.

We went gladly, daring to enter the poverty-stricken home of an immigrant from Puerto Rico. The mother, she welcomed us with a weary, hesitant smile, fear hiding behind her lashes and a flow of questions in her foreign tongue - questions too big for two twenty year old girls in their native tongue. Her life was a sad one. Marked not only by poverty, but the hopelessness that comes when you feel trapped with no way out - emotional poverty, spiritual poverty. She was in a strange land with a man who mistreated her and her precious son. But if she left, well...how would she support her son? The soft, rhythmic voice she spoke in - Spanish, everything in Spanish...how is it that we came to her today? How is it that today, when she was crying for help, two women showed up on her doorstep - both fluent in Spanish? She asked the questions that have only One answer...and His name is Jesus Christ. God gently called her to Himself. She bowed her head with tears, she accepted His free gift...and she resolved to take the next step. Within the week, she was no longer living with her boyfriend. God had provided for her...amazing things: a safe place to live, food to eat, a church to help her, employment. The most marked difference in her life was the hope.

While we lived in that New Jersey town, my friend and I visited her frequently, this woman transformed. We shared the Word with her in her native tongue, we shared our food with her, our things with her and we demonstrated love to her. She was like a sponge receiving water after it had been left too long in the sun.

And her son, that brown eyed young boy....he rejoiced and he sang a new song...and his life was forever changed one day on the boardwalk in the middle of a usual day when he came face to face with the Christ. And because of his boldness, not only his life, but the life of his mother, the life of my friend and my life too - all changed..four lives that collided because of Christ.