Posted by Posted in homeschool

10 Things Only Homeschool Kids Can Relate To

I have been homeschooled my entire life and loved it! Are you homeschooled? If you are then you just might be able to relate to some of these….

1. When history comes alive…
Homeschoolers history lessons quickly turn from memorizing dates to fun activities which make history come alive! When you are learning about the middle ages you make mead and meat pie and dress up like a princess. And history lessons on the American frontier find you in your buckskins building a teepee with Daniel Boone.

2. When big brother and big sister become subsitute teacher…
I remember when Jace was 13 he would teach me (11) and Celia (8) algebra lessons. Celia was always proud to tell everyone that her big brother taught her about positive and negative x. Now I am there and while Mom is busy I leave my geometry and go help Celia with factoring and fractions or finding the definition of a word for spelling or check over Williams addition problems and do word problems orally. I love having that oppurtunity to help teach my little siblings!

3. When you find yourself reading in wierd places…
You have all these awesome books and sometimes you read them in unique places. My favorite has always been up in a tree (with a laundry basket pulley system!) but you also find me in my clubhouse and when I was smaller I enjoyed boxes, laundry baskets, trampolines, swingsets, hammocks and more!

4. When you use the homeschool book catalog to find books to read…
Yes, I love you Sonlight! Whenever I am looking for good books to read I turn to you and you never disappoint.

5. When the library is your second home and the librarians are like family…
Hey you have the library to yourself all day!?! Why not make good friends out of those awesome library people! (Joe…you are our favorite) Funny story- I have been asked if I work at the library a few times but I just roll with it and help them find whatever they are looking for anyway.

6. When people ask you your grade and you don’t know…
Poor Aunt Sally doesn’t really understand homeschool and when she asks you your grade you really can’t answer. You do 6th grade math, 8th grade science and college reading! How are you supposed to know?

7. When you arrive at a homeschool event and all you see are mini vans…
This is so true! I guess we all just have big families?

8. When for art you go to a garden and do nature sketching…
Or you set up your own little studio and become little picasso.
Or if you do leaf tracing.

9. When your science book points you back to God…
Oh do I feel bad for public schoolers. My science book is always reminding me that God is the Creator and I am not random but made with purpose. I love you Apologia!

10. When your school books quickly become your favorite books…
Good school books have followed me up a tree (see #3), under the bedcovers, in the car and many other places, quickly becoming my best friends. A lot of my favorite authors and books have been school books.

Hope you enjoyed! And if you are not homeschooling…you should. It is a fun, lifetime adventure!

Priscilla

Posted by Posted in Books to Read, Chrildren's Writing, homeschool

Book Review: Calico Captive

Calico Captive was written by Elisabeth George Speare, one of my favorite authors of historical fiction. She has some more great books like “Sign of the Beaver” “The Bronze Bow” and “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” so check her out!

Rating: ***** 5 out of 5 stars! (like most books I review)
What age? It was a bit longer (about 300 pages) so probably 12 and up but if they are really good readers maybe even 10 and up.
Audience: I would recommend this more for girls than boys just because there is a few who-marries-who scenes and the main character is a girl. (Boys: check out “The Bronze Bow” and “The Sign of the Beaver”-you will love them!)
Would I recommend? Yes!

The main gist- Set during the French and Indian War, “Calico Captive” realates the story of Miriam Willard and her sisters family who were captured by Indians and then held captive by the French. Beautifully written with some twists, suspense and intrigue. The other characters of Felicite, Pierre, Phineas, Madame Duquesne, Hortense and Mehkoa are well made and contribute depth to the story.

(SPOILERS!!!)
So after Miriam and Susanna (her sister) are thrown out from the Duquesnes (spelling?) they live in a tailors shop and make dresses for a living while they wait for James (Susannas husband) to return with thier freedom. Susanna and James go to prison when he returns and Miriam has to ask Pierre for help- as that is going on he falls in love with her and asks her to marry him. Will Miriam marry the wealthy Pierre or wait for her soldier Phineas? There are good examples of marriage in the book- rare in this day and age.

(spoilers are over) Read this jewel!

Priscilla📚

Posted by Posted in adventures, do hard things, faith, God, gospel and outreach, Living for God, Mexico, missions, Rancho3M

When God Says No

I read “Do Hard Things” two or three times. Yes, it is that good. Our youth pastor preached a series about doing hard things. The idea changed my teen years.

The last time I read the book (a month ago maybe?) I felt like God had a hard thing for me to do. What was it?

Then I realized it. Doing hard things isn’t always planning an outreach or fundraiser, saving someones life or even diligently doing chores at home. Somethimes a hard thing is just to say yes when God says no.

I recently had this experience.

I had the oppurtunity to go down to Mexico for a week to serve at the Rancho3M orphanage in November. In fact a week from now I would be in Mexico.

Now if you really know me you know that serving down there is the highlight of my summer and that I really have a heart for that ministy. Oh and I love all the kids down there to pieces.

I REALLY wanted to go.

But God shut the door.

I was disappointed although I didn’t show it outwardly. I missed it down there. And that is when I realized that I have to say Yes to God even when He says No to something I desperately want to do.

His plan is always better. Isn’t it? We don’t always know why He gives us that answer. Sometimes we see it after and sometime we don’t. We just have to leave it up to Him.

Priscilla

Posted by Posted in Bible, Books to Read, Jesus

Book Review- Titus: Comrade of the Cross

First of all some background on this book, Titus: Comrade of the Cross by Florence Morse Kingsley. This is a Lamplighter book, which means it is an ooold book and was re-published by Lamplighter publishing. Check out their books…. they re-publish old gems. 🙂

This book had been sitting on the shelf in our home and I finally picked it up and started reading it. What a treat! It kept me reading waaay past my bedtime a few nights and was a gripping page-turner, it was written beautifully and contained some awesome lessons.

Rating: ***** 5 out of 5 stars!
Age to read: It would make a good family read aloud or read on your own as a pre-teen or teen.
Would I recommend? Yes, yes, yes!!!

The overall gist- The life of Jesus through the eyes of Titus and Stephen (mostly). Titus was stolen as a boy from Caiaphas and grew up as the son of a drunk, Greek man. Stephen is Titus’s brother (son of the Greek) and is a cripple. This book gave a new look on that old story. When reading this I noticed lots of Scripture throughout so it is very intune with what the Bible says in the Gospels. An amazing account of Jesus’s life. I was impressed.

(This next paragraph will have spoilers so read only if you want to!) There were lots of twists in the plot. Like I said above it was very intune with the Bible but it had a story all of its own. It gave a great glimpse into Jesus working miracles and the heart behind those who were healed like Stephen (the cripple) who crawled to the city to plead for the life of his little friend and then Jesus heals him! You will see the characters show up in places in the story of Jesus like Damachus (the Greek dad) is the one who wants to make Jesus king after he feeds the five thousand. And Titus and Damachus are the ones who are hung on the cross on either side of Jesus. (Titus goes with Him to paradise).

(the spoilers are over) Lots of excitement. It really made the story of Jesus’s life come alive. Gripping, beautiful and well written!

Hope you enjoy!
Priscilla 📚

Posted by Posted in adventures, Bible, faith, God, Living for God

Do I Trust?

It is easy for us to say “Yeah, I trust God.” when everything is going well.

Its easy for us to trust Him in the good times.

But trust is something that hits us hard when we hit a rough spot.

For me right now that trust is: Do I trust God when we are moving?

Do I trust God when our house is closing in less than three weeks and we don’t know where we are going?

Do I trust God with my tomorrow…. wherever tomorrow is?

Maybe for you its asking: Do I trust God when my loved one dies? Or my baby is miscarried? Or my job is lost? Or my child turns from the faith?

Do you trust God when worry, anxiety and doubt cloud over your mind?

Sometimes trusting God seems so hard. We like to know what will happen, where we are going and what our future will look like.

Trusting God is hard. Really hard.

Thankfully God is so great and His word is full of promises when we are doubting. Here are a few.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in Him, turn to Him and forget about solving your problems, leave it to Him, HE will direct your paths.

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will act.”
Psalm 37:5

He will act! What a promise.

“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:34

Read the whole passage of Matthew 6:25-34 to see how he clothes the lilies and feeds the birds. 😉

And a personal favorite of mine….

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will gaurd your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Phillipians 4:6-7

Let Christ know your worries and the peace of God which is better than any knowledge (where you will go, what you will do, etc.) will flood our hearts and minds.

So I don’t know where you are right now in life but if you have an area where you are anxious and worried and maybe struggling with trusting God, read His promises and just give Him everything. He will uphold you and strengthen you.

Keep on trusting!
Priscilla

P.S. Oh and scripture is riddled with more promises like the ones above so get your Bible out and find them!