I finished up How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.  After we finished that book, I discovered that we needed a much deeper phonics understanding, so we are using Phonics Pathways.  We have really enjoyed it, including Jackson.  It has helped me see that he is a very mathmatical thinker.  This book has helped him understand that reading is like math,  using sound and blend combinations.

I love how the book gently eases you into dictation and the game component is a fun element.  If you need a bit of help with phonics this book will help you get off on the right start.

From time to time, I am asked by Christian authors to read their books and review them here on my blog.  When Landel contacted me I was interested to hear that he actually created the book, Sentinel: City of Destiny originally for his boys. In the forward of this book Landel says “Growing up is easy, Growing up to be a man of good character is hard.” It always warms my heart to see parents developing ways to parent their children through life’s storms, and then sharing it with others. 

This book is about twin boys and their journey to manhood.  Each choosing separate paths and experiencing separate consequences.  The language in this book is well written, fluid and articulate.  Very reminiscent of Pilgrims Progress.  The world that is created within the allegorical tale reminds me of Tolkien with its maps and index list to define the particular vocabulary words used within the story. 

It is exciting, daring and courageous enough to captivate young men.  There is nothing like a good battle to get a boy really involved. This story will give parents or teachers a great platform in order to share about the struggles common to all men.  If you are a proactive parent who isn’t merely waiting for your children to “grow up” but hoping to train them and guide them into the way of Godly character, I highly recommend this book.  There is even a study guide at the end of the book to help you process through the book.

In order to give Landel more exposure, this post was also submitted here.

Anne Lemont is one honest author that is for sure.  The entire time I was reading this book, I felt like my head was on a swivel.  Almost like I was looking at an imaginary audience in the room with me asking them “Did she really just say that?” and  ”Did she really just do that?”.  By Chapter 4 I wasn’t  sure I was going to finish the book, but something kept pulling me forward.  By the final chapter I was glad I heard her story. I think it was her statements about Grace that were scattered like jewels throughout the story of her life.

For me, it is a  good discipline to listen to what others have to say that think completely differently from me, and be still enough and non reactive enough to learn something from them. In the end it was beautiful seeing the ribbon of God’s grace woven throughout her life as she stumbles along with deep and earnest sincerity at following Jesus.  She does not hide her brokenness.  Her honesty about her brokenness creates a wonderful backdrop to showcase the gift available to all of us….grace.

*Warning - if language or extreme liberal, feminine views are highly offensive to you…don’t read this book.  On the other hand, if you are able to admire beauty found in brokenness, this book is for you.

Anyone read anything from Wendell Berry?  Good stuff.  Makes you slow down and meander awhile.  I started reading Berry when I heard Peterson recommend his work. If Eugene  recommended  it I thought it would be enriching.  Peterson says whenever Berry mentions “farmer” think pastor and when he mentions “farm” think church.  Yowzah! That will give you some food to think about.

His work makes me think about time, and how to use it.  How to be rooted in one place, connected to the land, honoring the Creator for what he has given me.  Time to unwind, relax  and learn to be in one place for a long time, with the people around you for a long time, with your daily life laying down tracks in a given place.  I think we tend to keep thinking of the next thing, or the next place or when………well you know the grass always seems to be greener.  Guess what. It’s not.

So I am working on not looking around at everyone and everything else.  I am looking down, enjoying the space and the day that has been given to me, working “the land” I have been given and thoroughly enjoying every square inch.  So today, enjoy the space of time and land you have been given.  Even if it is hard, if you slow down a bit and ask “God what do you have for me here?” you will find a treasure trove that is just for you!

Peace to all~

This term we have been studying De Vinci and 6 of his famous paintings.  Over the term, I have put one of his works as the screen saver on our computer.  I would change the picture without telling the children and see if they caught it.  They always did.  Then, thanks to the Homeschooling Diva’s over at Ambleside Online, we printed out all of the works twice and made a matching or gold fish game out of them.  They love playing it and our three year old even yells out “SELF PORTRAIT” when he gets the correct match and our 4 year old asked if it was a picture of God.  I smiled thinking, “Why is it that children imagine God to be an old man with long hair and a beard?”.

A good friend of mine lent me a great book that helped to tie de Vinci’s life together.  It is called Leonardo’s Horse and Jackson loved it. It tells the tale of de Vinci’s one work that never was finished.  Jackson wistfully said at the end of the book “If only Leonardo could of seen it”. We liked it so much we will be adding it to our family library.  I can purchased a gently used one for about 5 bucks on amazon.   Yikes~I can’t even buy junk at Wal-Mart for that price!

Go read a good book today~ Preferably out loud with your kids all snuggled up on the couch.  Not that I am telling you what to do or anything, but I promise it is lots of fun!

Have I mentioned before that Richard Foster is one of my spiritual heroes?   Classical SD are to be used by ordinary people, not by spiritual giants.  When I first got my head around the fact that everyday people, with everyday jobs and concerns where supposed to use these disciplines as a way to experiencing the “fullest life” in Christ, I had an “a-ha” moment.   I was blown away when I realized that there was more to Christian Spiritual Disciplines than reading your bible and praying. Go get the book and see for yourself.  It will be like a cool drink of water for you.

Every week, I  do less and less in the way of busyness.  I quietly move through my house work and schooling.  I have no game plan, just living in the moment, enjoying the space, enjoying the fact I don’t have it all together.  I am not taking myself too seriously, and trying to learn from our children how to “not have a care in the world”. Funny, I thought I was supposed to be “schooling” them.

Each moment I am given, I have the opportunity to keep choosing Jesus as my King, keep choosing His Kingdom and not my own.   So on this quiet day of rest, I wanted to leave you all with a teaser from the beginning of the book. 

“I go through this life as a transient on his way to eternity, made in the image of God but with that image debased, needing to be taught how to meditate, to worship, to think. ~ Donald Coggan”

Superficiality is the curse of our age.  The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.  The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people. Celebration of Discipline ~ Richard Foster. pg 1

Peace to you~

If you have not had a chance to read this book with your kids, take some time and do it.  Our library system did not have it so we had to get it on inter-library loan, but now we will purchase it to have in our family library.  Our 6 year old was captivated.  He had so many questions and his little mind was thinking, thinking, thinking.   He had some of the best insights and thoughts about God and money.

Very simply, the story is about 3 brothers and their treatment of people and the use of money. At one point in the story Jackson “Mom do you mean that Hans and Schwartz (2 of the brothers) loved money more than people?”  I replied “yes”.  His little face got all contorted and he shook his head.  You could tell that really got him. We talked and talked about so many things after finishing the book.  That is what a good narrative does.  Leaves you thinking and thinking and then a few years later you are still thinking and thinking.  Already in just a few days since completing the book we have referred back to it time and time again.  This would be a great Christmas present for a family read aloud.

Well, everyday is read out loud day here, but it REALLY is today.  5am and it is raining, and raining and raining.  It has been raining consistently for 10 days now so the kids and I will snuggle up with some good books today.

I am very excited about The Lion Tree that Ruth Willms just sent me.  I started reading it out loud yesterday to the kids and they are hooked in Chapter 1.  It is a fiction book based on the facts of Jonah, Job and Queen Esther.  It has the feel of Chronicles of Narnia so I will keep you posted on how it goes and do  an in depth book review when we are done.

Peace to all~ 

I have been reading many books in the organizational genre lately.  This has been my favorite.  It gives good practical advise on how to detox your home from too many chemicals.  I have noticed lately that I have been getting migraines more frequently than normal so I thought I should reconsider some of my cleaning tools.  I am also teaching the children how to help me clean and I realized I don’t want them working with all of these cleaners ether. 

Organic Housekeeping gives really good tips on overall organization and thoughts on cleaning in general. If you can maintain “normal” cleaning in your home, than you can go out and enjoy the really good things in life.  Definitely not a book on how to be a neat nick, just how to have a plan and work the plan efficiently and safely and then go out and play type book.

I think most American families need help in the finances department, and this book could be a good first start. No offense to my International readers. I am sure International families can look at their budget as well. This book attacks the normal American pastime of “excess” and offers tips that relate to living within the US.  I am sure that international families can apply many of the concepts regardless of their context. It is an easy read and not necessarily meant to be read straight through but rather viewed topically depending on what you need most. It will help you think through your financial plan and give you solid tips  and really great ideas on how to save money around your home. It is an inspiring read that preaches simplicity and motivates you to make your pennies stretch and learn how to live with less.  I found it interesting that many of the ideas, we already implement and many others we have never even thought of.

The books authors (the Economides) actually paid their entire house off in 9 years making only about 35K a year.  They started by just paying $2 extra on principle every month and pinching pennies all along the way.  Annette (the wife) stayed home the entire time raising their kids, learning how to be an efficient homemaker and making “simplicity” be her overarching goal for their family.

This book is proof that it can be done if you are willing to sacrifice a bit, live within your means, and most of all have discipline with your budget.  I was inspired! 

“The spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith are like a ghanat(an underground irrigation system) for your suburb.  They are the only means of staying awake to the thicker life amid the toxic fumes of the suburban life. “ The thicker life in Jesus.  It is what I like to call living in “the kingdom”.

 The true life is not possessed by the things we own, or buy but by who we are in the quiet.  It is the unseen that marks us and grounds us in the midst of everyday life.  This book is  a wealth of knowledge in identifying spiritual toxins and the disciplines needed to implement in order to counteract them.  We are not alone in our feelings of busyness or isolation among crowds of people.  It is a cultural phenomenon that slowly and quietly eats you alive until you wake up one day wondering how you got to where you are.

This book calls a spade a spade in a funny way that every American can relate with.  He pokes fun at himself and gives “exercises” that even the author uses.  None of us are immune from checking out to  “easy” living in the suburbs.  This book calls us to another standard and gives us practical tips on moving past the death of the suburbs and into a thicker, fuller life based in the reality of Jesus.

 I am adding and building the content of this site on an ongoing basis.  One of the things I will be providing for my readers is a “book of the week recommendation”  I love to read.  I have always loved to read and in fact sat in elementary school bored to tears every day reading books inside my desk as the teacher droned on and on.  I would stay up late at night after my parents had tucked me in with a flashlight under the covers.

Reading is one of my favorite past times and so I thought I would post here what I am currently tackling.  Check back often as I will always be updating and growing my knowledge base. 

Currently Reading:

• Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
• Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Burns -I snagged this off ot Truevyns site.  If she is reading it it must be good:-)
• Confessions of an Organized Homemaker: The Secrets of Uncluttering Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life by Deniece Schofield

Just Finished:

• Death by Suburb by David Goetz
• Hints on Child Training by H. Clay Trumbull

I have currently been reading “Hints on Child Training” by H. Clay Trumbull. It is a book written about 100 years ago by Elizabeth Elliott’s Great-Grandfather. It is a wonderfully pragmatic look at how to train you children with the “big picture” in mind. In fact, after reading it once through, I have determined to read it again. It has so many gems in it, that reading it once is not enough to assimilate all of Trumbull’s wisdom. Especially once you are passing through the toddler years and on into early childhood.

In today’s fast past world, child training is rarely embraced as a proactive way to help your children become fully functioning adults. This book hints at the wonder of parenting and the blessing of training early in life. It has been a valuable resource for our family’s thinking on parenting our children.

I think if parents were armed with this information early they would determine to live simply and make sure the stress everywhere else in their life is minimized.  Once you realize how the environment you create for your children forms them deeply, you will be careful to not let “mindless” things slip in. As parents, our  specific mindset of where we are leading our children is key to navigating the parenting roadblocks that inevitably arise along our children’s path to adult hood. It is a sobering thought to realize the weaknesses that will occur in our children as adults are due to our weaknesses as a parents when they are young. This is a must have for a families library. It is one of those books that you will highlight and underline and refer to often.

 More thoughts from…..Death By Suburb.  I know, I know, I can’t help it. 

Mending is the key image for  embracing the Sabbath in the suburbs, letting us “experience the depths of Jesus Christ,” as the classic work by Jeanne Guyon puts it.  The trick for the lover of God is to learn how to become better at mending ones life, making small adjustments on a regular basis to avoid the speed and clutter of modern living.

Mending is a verb.  An ongoing action that is consistent and small.  Mending is a thing that reverses the affects of the fast paced business of suburban life.  It is a bridge that leads you to the thicker life.  The deeper life of Jesus Christ.  It is obedience in the small mundane things.  

Now this may seem bizarre to some, but for me right now, home schooling is mending my life.  Our family rhythm is decidedly slow.  There is no rush.  There is no fire to put out, no hill to conquer.  Just deepening of roots and building of relationships.  This is my Sabbath YEAR!  It is a lovely, yummy, comforting thing.  God is moving deeply in the quiet.  Maybe hovering is a better word.  Yes….I think hovering describes it well.

Find the Quiet today!