Ambleside Wonderland

Seasonal Poetry Printables - Spring, Summer, Autumn, & Winter

2020-10-03T16:29:00.004-07:00

I had created these printable seasonal poetry collections a couple years ago to correlate with a Nature Study Curriculum Exploring Nature with Children we loved and did regularly in our homeschool. I had been meaning to share them with you all, but apparently I forgot to! So without further ado...

Simply click on the photo to download the printables. Free for personal use only!

Happy Printing!

Sincerely,

Julie

Charlotte Mason & Nature Quotes - Free Printables

2019-08-23T12:35:00.004-07:00

Here's another bunch of freebies to pretty up the walls in your school room. I felt the need to refresh some of the quotes I've got and love -- look for some new ones & possibly some poetry printables -- I thought I'd start just refreshing for the season that's coming up. So, I hope to have some gorgeous fall printables with poetry to go along with it.

If you love vintage florals and animals you are in luck! Because those are two things that I adore and really try to incorporate in my designs for putting up in my home.

Free for personal use and to share with others! >>Download Here<<

God Bless,

Julie

Free Scripture Printable - PDF Download

2019-08-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

Anyone that knows anything about me knows that I love to occasionally design things to inspire us in our school day, but recently we've been going through the baby name lists trying to find the perfect name for baby #5 and the thought came to me about those name description posters you sometimes see hanging in a child's room.

One huge aspect about naming a child for me is deciding the blessing you want to bestow this new life with the character you feel God has already given them. A name is a way to bestow that blessing and each name we've chosen has been meaningful to us for the same exact reason, it isn't just the feel of the name, but the meaning behind it and the personality.

But the thing about those name descriptions is they're mostly totally made up and when the child starts to grow doesn't exactly impart any real knowledge about them. You could make them more personal to fit each child's personality, but I chose to go in a different direction and design theirs with a scripture that tied into their name meaning. I want to speak life and purpose into my children's lives and I really love what I came up with.

Obviously your children are not named the same thing as mine are, I don't think, but the scriptures still ring beautifully true and you can use them hung up or in a school book, or even as a binder cover just to add another blessing to your daily life with these living words.

Free to download and share >>Here<<. Enjoy!

God Bless,

Julie

Poet Study - Walter de la Mare

2019-08-11T16:33:00.003-07:00

I've been in the full on throws of planning for our next school year and new for this year I decided I'd add in a short bio of each poet we'll be studying each Term. I am planning on using Ambleside Online, so the next few poet studies I do will be to go along with what's scheduled for 2019-2020 school year using that.

I've also decided to add in some living biographies for each Term for our poets as well. For Walter de la Mare I actually came up with not a single biography suited for children to read a long, which is disappointing to say the least. But we'll just enjoy his poetry and the short biography I've made up and try to be happy enough with that. ha!

I will list some great series that are on poets you might want to check out down below...

To download the file simply click on the photo above.

This study is free for personal use - feel free to share my link with others as well! Happy Planning!

God Bless,

Julie

Here Are a Few Additional Resources:

Reshelving Alexandria In-depth Information about books/series, authors, etc. to help build your families legacy library.
Songs of Childhood by Walter de la Mare Archive.org, public domain
Biography of Walter de la Mare by Brittanica.com
Poetry for Young People Series compiled by Reshelving Alexandria
Who Was Series by Scholastic
Rookie Biography Series by Scholastic

Other Poet Studies Available:

Poet Study - A. A. Milne

2019-08-09T16:02:00.001-07:00

I've been in the full on throws of planning for our next school year and new for this year I decided I'd add in a short bio of each poet we'll be studying each Term. I use Ambleside Online, so the next few poet studies I do will be to go along with what's scheduled for 2019-2020 school year using that.

I've also decided to add in some living biographies for each Term for our poets as well. For A. A. Milne I actually came up with two choices, I was able to find a Rookie Biography & the story behind the real Winnie the Pooh called Finding Winnie. I'm not looking for a serious biography as much as I am just a small introduction to these real life authors/poets to get us a little familiar with the person behind the poetry we're studying.

I also decided to make my job easier each week by pre-choosing 12 poems - 1 for each week in a single Term. And then I decided to go ahead and share it with you in case you wanted to add this into your school plan this year as well.

To download file simply click on the photo above.

This study is free for personal use - feel free to share my link with others as well! Happy Planning!

God Bless,

Julie

Here Are a Few Additional Resources:

Reshelving Alexandria In-depth Information about books/series, authors, etc. to help build your families legacy library.
Abebooks Link A. A. Milne's Rookie Biography
Abebooks Link Finding Winnie
Wikipedia Biography Specifically A. A. Milne's

Other Poet Studies Available:

Poet Study - Christina Rossetti

2019-08-09T15:55:00.001-07:00

I've been in the full on throws of planning for our next school year and new for this year I decided I'd add in a short bio of each poet we'll be studying each Term. I use Ambleside Online, so the next few poet studies I do will be to go along with what's scheduled for 2019-2020 school year using that.

I've also decided to add in some living biographies for each Term for our poets as well. For Christina Rosetti I was able to find a Rookie Biography. This looks like it'll do, but I wish I could find a better children's book option. If you know of one definitely drop me a line!

** Thriftbooks link

To download the file simply click on the photo above.

This study is free for personal use - feel free to share my link with others as well! Happy Planning!

God Bless,

Julie

Here Are a Few Additional Resources:

Reshelving Alexandria In-depth Information about book series, authors, etc.
Wikipedia Biography Specifically Christina Rossetti's
Thriftbooks Link to Christina Rossetti's Rook Biography
Sing-Song Nursery Rhymes by Christina Rossetti Archive.org, public domain resource

Other Poet Studies Available:

Poet Study - Eugene Field

2019-08-09T12:31:00.001-07:00

I've been in the full on throws of planning for our next school year and new for this year I decided I'd add in a short bio of each poet we'll be studying each Term. I use Ambleside Online, so the next few poet studies I do will be to go along with what's scheduled for 2019-2020 school year using that.

I've also decided to add in some living biographies for each Term for our poets as well. For Eugene Field I was able to find a Childhood of Famous Americans book. This isn't as much a biography as it is a beautifully written story about him, which will work quite nicely for us learning a little about this poet/writer as an introduction.

An example of what you might look for.

To download the file simply click on the photo above.

This study is free for personal use - feel free to share my link with others as well! Happy Planning!

God Bless,

Julie

For More Information About Childhood of Famous Americans Series,

Here Are a Few Resources:

Reshelving Alexandria In-depth Information about this entire 220 book series is available with a Membership.
Triumphant Learning COFAs organized by Time Period
The Unlikely Homeschool 100 Childhood of Famous Americans in Chronological Order
Library Thing Childhood of Famous Americans Series Information
Thriftbook Link Eugene Field Rookie Biography

Other Poet Studies Available:

Poet Study - James Whitcomb Riley

2019-08-09T09:33:00.000-07:00

I've been in the full on throws of planning for our next school year and new for this year I decided I'd add in a short bio of each poet we'll be studying each Term. I use Ambleside Online, so the next few poet studies I do will be to go along with what's scheduled for 2019-2020 school year using that.

I've also decided to add in some living biographies for each Term for our poets as well. For James Whitcomb Riley I was able to find a Childhood of Famous Americans book. This isn't as much a biography as it is a beautifully written story about him, which will work quite nicely for us learning a little about this poet/writer as an introduction.

James Whitcomb Riley, Hoosier Boy *thriftbooks example

To download the file just click on the photo above.

This study is free for personal use - feel free to share my link with others as well! Happy Planning!

God Bless,

Julie

For More Information About Childhood of Famous Americans Series,

Here Are a Few Resources:

Reshelving Alexandria In-depth Information about this entire 220 book series is available with a Membership.
Triumphant Learning COFAs organized by Time Period
The Unlikely Homeschool 100 Childhood of Famous Americans in Chronological Order
Library Thing Childhood of Famous Americans Series Information

Other Poet Studies Available:

Beautiful Staged Window Scenes: Inspiration to Inadequacy

2019-05-03T13:13:00.001-07:00

I have noticed on social media it can get very hard to not get caught up in the beauty of those tiny staged window scenes. You know the ones I'm talking about. The ones that are meant to inspire and probably do most of the time, but then it doesn't take much for inspiration to turn into feelings of inadequacy. 

We all want that beauty, the perfect pictures. We want the acceptance & sometimes maybe even a little envy?

Charlotte says, “Their relation to their children is not an accident, but is a real office which they have been appointed to fill” (Mason, 1989e, p. 199). 

And while I understand the need for those photographs, I've found myself caught in that web feeling discouraged because I can't achieve that "ideal". I've found myself wondering if other people are better suited to educate my children, they might be more consistent, more inspiring, more patient, more something.

(Read more about the 'Call to Parents' on CharlotteMasonPoetry.org)

I can only speak for myself & my experience, but sometimes I get caught up in that Education is an Atmosphere, thinking my children need this beautiful staged scene to optimize their learning experience. But when she speaks of "atmosphere" I don't think she's talking about magazine worthy photographic rooms filled with curiosities and beautiful art adorning the walls. I don't think she considered the perfectly curated furniture, bookshelves with brightly colored books & toys, etc. I believe she was talking about in some respect the attitude we have towards children in regards to education. They don't need the fanciest, the newest, the most beautifully inspiring scene. In fact, they learn the best in the most natural of their own environments.  

"Seeing that we are limited
by the respect due to the personality of children
we can allow ourselves but three educational instruments —
the atmosphere of environment,
the discipline of habit
and the presentation living ideas."
— Charlotte Mason [Vol. 6, p. 94]

In volume six she talks about this Education is an Atmosphere in more detail... it says, 

"Peter's nursery was a perfect dream in which to hatch the soul of a little boy. Its walls were done in warm, cream-coloured paint and upon them Peter's father had put the most lovely patterns of trotting and jumping horses and dancing cats and dogs and leaping lambs, a carnival of beasts . . . there was a big brass fire-guard in Peter's nursery . . . and all the tables had smoothly rounded corners against the days when Peter would run about. The floor was of cork carpet on which Peter would put his toys and there was a crimson hearthrug on which Peter was destined to crawl . . . there were scales in Peter's nursery to weigh Peter every week and tables to show how much he ought to weigh and when one should begin to feel anxious. There was nothing casual about the early years of Peter."

So, Mr. [H.G.] Wells, in that inconclusive educational treatise of his, Joan and Peter. It is an accurate picture of the preparation for 'high-souled' little persons all over the world."

And later she goes on to say, " We certainly may use atmosphere as an instrument of education, but there are prohibitions, for ourselves rather than for children. Perhaps the chief of these is, that no artificial element be introduced, no sprinkling with rose-water, softening with cushions. Children must face life as it is; if their parents are anxious and perturbed children feel it in the air. "Mummie, Mummie, you aren't going to cry this time, are you?" and a child's hug tries to take away the trouble. By these things children live and we may not keep them in glass cases; if we do, they develop in succulence and softness and will not become plants of renown."

I think sometimes we focus so much on creating a perfect "space" for education to take place. They need life as it is. The extent we sometimes go to create these perfect atmospheres, she likened it to a plant under glass, "A plant carefully protected under glass from outside shocks looks sleek and flourishing but its higher nervous function is then found to be atrophied." 

I believe this is also another reason she emphasized the need to spend so much of their time out doors vs in doors. The classroom is best as natural as it can be, full of oxygen and room to discover God in his element. 

Now, there is nothing wrong with having a beautiful home and/or school room, especially if it is a representation of your children's interests and fascinations. I just want to encourage you that you don't need that to give your children the best education. You don't need to spend money & time, especially if you haven't got it, to try achieving those picture perfect spaces. God has chosen you and has given you everything you need to answer His call. 

God Bless,

Julie

VI. -- Conditions of Healthy Brain-Activity

2019-05-01T13:54:00.001-07:00

Home Education, Volume 1

Training and Educating Children Under Nine

Pg. 20-37

VI. -- Conditions of Healthy Brain-Activity

Having just glanced at the wide region of forbidden ground, we are prepared to consider what it is, definitely and positively, that the Mother owes to her child under the name of Education.

----

1. All Mind Labour Means Wear of Brain. -- pg. 21

And first of all, the more educable powers of the child -- his intelligence, his will, his moral feelings -- have their seat in the brain; that is to say, as the eye is the organ of sight, so is the brain, or some part of it, the organ of thought and will, of love and worship. Authorities differ as to how far it is possible to localise the functions of the brain; but this at least seems pretty clear––that none of the functions of mind are performed without real activity in the mass of grey and white nervous matter named 'the brain.'

2. Exercise. -- pg. 21

The large active brain is not content with entire idleness; it strikes out lines for itself and works fitfully, and the man or woman becomes eccentric, because wholesome mental effort, like moral, must be carried on under the discipline of rules... Do not let the children pass a day without distinct efforts; intellectual, moral volitional; let them brace themselves to understand; let them compel themselves to do and to bear; and let them do right at the sacrifice of ease and pleasure and this for many higher reasons, but, in the first and lowest place, that the mere physical organ of mind and will may grow vigorous with work.

3. Rest. -- pg. 22

Just as important is it that the brain should have due rest; that is, should rest and work alternately. And here two considerations come into play. In the first place, when the brain is actively at work it is treated as is every other organ of the body in the same circumstances; that is to say, a large additional supply of blood is attracted to the head for the nourishment of the organ which is spending it's substance in hard work.

4. Change of Occupation. -- pg. 23 & 24

...But this much is certain, and is very important to the educator: the brain, or some portion of the brain, becomes exhausted when any given function has been exercised too long. The child has been doing sums for some time, and is getting unaccountably stupid: take away his slate and let him read history, and you find his wits fresh again. Imagination which has had no part in the sums, is called into play by the history lesson, and the child brings a lively unexhausted power to his new work.

School time-tables are usually drawn up with a view to give the brain of the child variety of work; but the secret of the weariness children often show in the home schoolroom is, that no such judicious change of lessons is contrived.

5. Nourishment. -- pg. 24

Again, the brain cannot do its work well unless it be abundantly and suitably nourished; ... and the vigour and health of the brain depend upon the quality and quantity of this blood-supply.

Certain Causes affect the Quality of the Blood. -- Now, the quality of the blood is affected by three or four causes. In the first place, the blood is elaborated from the food: the more nutritious and easy of digestion the food, the more vital will be the properties of the blood. The food must be varied, too, a mixed diet, because various ingredients are required to make up for the various waste in the tissues.

Concerning Meals. -- What is the obvious conclusion? That the child must be well fed. Half the people of low vitality we come across are the victims of low-feeding during their childhood; and that more often because their parents were not alive to their duty in this respect, than they were not in a position to afford their children the diet necessary to their full physical and mental development.

6. Talk at Meals & Variety. -- pg. 26 & 27

All this and much of the same kind it is needless to urge; but again let me say, it is digested food that nourishes the system, and people are apt to forget how far mental and moral conditions affect the processes of digestion... No pains should be spared to make the hours of meeting round the family table the brightest hours of the day... Here is the parents' opportunity to train them in manners and in morals, to cement family love, and to accustom the children to habits, such as that of thorough mastication, for instance, as important on the score of health as on that of propriety.

Variety. -- The mother should contrive a rotation for her children that will last at least a fortnight without the same dinner recurring twice... But give them variety; do not let it be 'everlasting tapioca.' Even for tea and breakfast the wise mother does not say, 'I always give my children' so and so. They should not have anything 'always'; every meal should have some little surprise. But is this the way, to make them think overmuch of what they shall eat and drink? On the contrary, it is the underfed children who are greedy, and unfit to be trusted with any unusual delicacy.

7. Air as Important as Food. -- pg. 28

The quality of the blood depends almost as much on the air we breathe as on the food we eat;... Hence the importance of giving the children daily airings and abundant exercise of limb and lung in un-vitiated, un-impoverished air.

8. The Children Walk every Day. -- pg. 29

'The children walk every day; they are never out less than an hour when the weather is suitable.' That is better than nothing;...

Oxygen has its Limitations. -- pg. 31 Man can enjoy the full measure of vigorous joyous existence possible to him only when his blood is fully aerated; and this takes place when the air he inhales contains its full complement of oxygen. Is it too much to say that vitality is reduced, other things being equal in proportion as persons are house dwellers rather than open-air dwellers?...True, we must needs have houses for shelter from the weather by day and for rest at night; but in proportion as we cease to make our houses 'comfortable,' as we regard them merely as necessary shelters when we cannot be out of doors, shall we enjoy to the full the vigorous vitality possible to us.

Unchanged Air. -- pg. 31 There is some circulation of air even in the slums of the city, and the child who spends its days in the streets is better supplied with oxygen than he who spends most of his hours in the unchanged air of a spacious apartment.

9. Sunshine. -- pg. 34

But it is not only air, and pure air, the children must have if their blood is to be of the 'finest quality,' as the advertisements have it....It is concluded that light and sunshine are favourable to the production of red corpuscles in the blood; and, therefore -- to this next 'therefore' is but a step for the mother ... Indeed, the whole house should be kept light and bright for their sakes; trees and outbuildings that obstruct the sunshine and make the children's rooms dull should be removed without hesitation.

I have linked each section to the page in Home Education provided by Ambleside Online.

So, obviously if you read Home Education you will see there are other small sections of each of these guidelines, but these I felt were the main ones that were emphasized. They give a very good clear idea of the things that we owe to our children in the name of education.

I feel like Charlotte had high expectations of children, but also felt that if they were to succeed and fulfill those highest aspirations of their potential than we as parents had expectations as well. If we're to ask much of our children, we need to provide them the best possible atmosphere to achieve what is asked. These guidelines are kind of common sense in today's age, I feel, but never hurts to remind ourselves to reevaluate if we're first accommodating the right educational atmosphere for our children's brains to do their work?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

God Bless,

Julie

V. -- Hindering the Children

2019-04-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

Home Education, Volume 1

Training and Educating Children Under Nine

Pg. 19 & 20

V. -- Hindering the Children

A Child's Relationship with Almighty God. --

The most fatal way of despising the child falls under the third educational law of the Gospels; it is to over-look and make light of his natural relationship with Almighty God. "Suffer the little children to come unto Me," says the Savior, as if that were the natural thing for the children to do, the thing they do when they are not hindered by their elders. And perhaps it is not too beautiful a thing to believe in this redeemed world, that, as the babe turns to his mother though he has no power to say her name, as the flowers turn to the sun, so the hearts of the children turn to the Savior and God with unconscious delight and trust.

---

God does love and cherish the little children all day long, and fill their hours with delight. Add to this listless perfunctory prayers, idle discussions of Divine things in their presence, light use of holy words, few signs whereby the child can read that the things of God are more to his parents than any things of the world, and the child is hindered, tacitly forbidden to "come unto Me," -- and this, often by parents who in the depths of their hearts desire nothing in comparison with God. The mischief lies in that same foolish undervaluing of the children, in the notion that the child can have no spiritual life until it please his elders to kindle the flame.

Read this passage and more here on Ambleside Online.

I was pondering to myself how unknowingly we as parents may cause stumbling blocks in front of our children's relationships with God. Maybe they have overheard us having philosophical biblical conversations with our spouse or others? Charlotte warns about children being privy to subjects that they aren't mature enough to understand, which cause them to stumble onto pathways that cause confusion.

I suppose we just need to keep the bible simply but clear. And now the only question I'm left with in this is how? Without it becoming a regurgitated message they have memorized?

One large way I love to include biblical precepts into my children's teaching is Nature Study & other Science. I feel like showing children the works of God in nature gives them knowledge that God is currently working daily in a very visible way, in the simple transformations of caterpillar to butterfly, etc.

How do you make sure you aren't hindering your children's relationships with God? Or, better yet, facilitate a better one?

God Bless,

Julie

Children's Faults are Serious.

2019-04-29T10:21:00.004-07:00

Home Education, Volume 1

Training and Educating Children Under Nine

Pg. 19

Children's Faults are Serious. --

One of many ways in which parents are apt to have too low an opinion of their children is in the matter of their faults. A little child shows some ugly trait -- he is greedy, and gobbles up his sister's share of goodies as well as his own; he is vindictive, ready to bite or fight the hand that offends him; he tells a lie; -- no, he did not touch the sugar bowl or the jam-pot. The mother puts off the evil day: she knows she must sometime reckon with the child for those offenses, but in the meantime she says,

"Oh, it does not matter this time: he is very little, and will know better by and by."

To put the thing on no higher grounds, what happy days for herself and her children would the mother secure if she would keep watch at the place of the letting out of the waters! If the mother settle it in her own mind that the child never does wrong without being aware of his wrong-doing, she will see that he is not too young to have his fault corrected or prevented. Deal with a child on his first offense, and a grieved look is enough to convict the little transgressor; but let him go on until a habit of wrong-doing is formed, and the cure is a slow one; then the mother has no chance until she has formed in him a contrary habit of well-doing.

To laugh at ugly tempers and let them pass because the child is small, is to sow the wind.

Read this passage and more, Here on Ambleside Online.

When I was reading this I thought of the times here and there that as a parent I've been guilty of this exact thing. And the damage I've done to my own parenting, one step forward and then two steps backwards. And it's funny that in the thick of it you don't think about these small little discrepancies you allow, even sparingly.

"Oh, it does not matter this time he is very little, and will know better by-and-by."

The low opinion of which she speaks is this nonchalant attitude that we sometimes take up, or allowing ourselves to get distracted and not give these moments the due attention they deserve. "Deal with a child on his first offense," she says. Don't just take the attitude that sooner or later he'll learn, will he?

In my experience it's been more like pulling up weeds, which grow faster than the plants you're actually actively trying to grow. Once taken root they sprout overnight and then your full time job becomes defense instead of offense. It's an exhausting place to be as a parent.

And then when you begin school you start to see where these habits or the lack there-of really come into play. And how much more complicated a seamless, beautiful, lovely, peaceful school day becomes.

I'm going to take Charlotte's advice. The wisdom she shares is definitely something I've needed. I hope this helps inspire you like it has me.

God Bless,

Julie

Children Should have the Best of their Mothers.

2019-04-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Home Education

Training and Educating Children Under Nine

Pg. 17 & 18

Children should have the best of their Mothers.

--- Suppose that a mother may offend her child, how is it possible that she should despise him?

"Despise: to have a low opinion of, to undervalue" --

thus the dictionary; and, as a matter of fact, however much we may delight in them, we grown-up people have far too low an opinion of children. If the mother did not undervalue her child, would she leave him to the society of an ignorant nursemaid during the early years when his whole nature is, like the photographer's sensitive plate, receiving momently indelible impressions? Not but that his nurse is good for the child. Very likely it would not answer for educated people to have their children always about them. The constant society of his parents might be too stimulating for the child; and frequent change of thought the fresher for her children. But they should have the best of their mother, her freshest, brigtest hours while, at the same time, she is careful to choose the nurses wisely, train them carefully, and keep a vigilant eye upon all that goes on in the nursery.

Read this passage and more here on Ambleside Online.

Obviously in my home my children do not have nurses or nannies, but we do occasionally trust our children with someone else to watch for short times.

This is one area I feel like I am already pretty spot on. I've always been very particular about who I allow to watch my children for various reasons, safety & the character of the person are two of the biggest reasons for me.

But throughout the last decade of raising my children I have given much thought to if these individuals are helping in the training of my children or hurting it.

When my son & daughter were born, due to financial reasons, I worked outside of the home full time and therefore had to trust others to care for my children. This was the biggest struggle in training our children, the people that were the option often did not stick to our rules and therefore we had bad habits take root, a few examples are

1. No strict bedtimes or routines.

2. Not brushing their teeth properly, which caused cavities.

3. Not being responsible to pick up their things.

You don't realize until years later how much of an impact this has had on the foundation of your children's training. Habits require a firm foundation simply because it's training your brain in a pattern that it can fall back on and it is also training your will to do as you ought not just as you want. And when bad habits have taken route then it is a chore as a mother to then replace those bad habits with good ones and does, in fact, that much longer.

Is this something you've been careful of? What are your thoughts?

God Bless,

Julie

Mother's Owe a 'Thinking Love' to their Children

2019-04-25T10:07:00.003-07:00

Home Education

Training and Educating Children Under Nine

Pg. 2 & 3

Mother's Owe a 'Thinking Love' to their Children. --

"The mother is qualified," says Pestalozzi, "and qualified by the Creator Himself, to become the principal agent in the development of her child; ... and what is demanded of her is --- a thinking love... God has given to thy child all the faculties of our nature, but the grand point remains undecided -- how shall this heart, this head, these hands, be employed? to whose service shall the be dedicated? A question the answer to which involves a futurity of happiness or misery to a life so dear to thee. Maternal love is the first agent in education."

We are waking up to our duties, and in proportion as mothers become more highly educated and efficient, they will doubtless feel the more strongly that the education of their children during the first six years of life is an undertaking hardly to be entrusted to any hands but their own. And they will take it up as their profession -- that is, with the diligence regularity, and punctuality which men bestow on their professional labours.

That the mother may know what she is about, may come thoroughly furnished to her work, she should have something more than a hearsay acquaintance with the theory of education, and with those conditions of the child's nature upon which such theory rests.

Read this passage and more here on Ambleside Online.

I know for myself, personally, I have allowed myself to get far too lax in my own personal schedule. There's many reasons for this, but I think sometimes we get into a rut and find ourselves slipping. I often reflected and wondered why I could efficiently run a store and employees under me in my professional life, but then found so much difficulty when I came home trying to run a household?

I wasn't treating my children like they were in training, I suppose. I wasn't acting as their Governor in that my responsibility is personal as well. I should have a bedtime, a wake up time, & a regularity that they can depend on and become accustomed to living in. I myself have never been great at consistency. I was only as consistent as I was at work because there was already a system set up for me, I knew exactly what was expected of me.

"That the mother may know what she is about..."

Perhaps I haven't. Perhaps I did not realize until now digging into education and trying to discover what I am about and what this education is about that I have had my eyes opened. Charlotte's words sometimes seem harsh, but I find so much comfort in them because it is the direction I have long desired.

And I read this and asked myself, What is a 'thinking love' exactly? Is it the fact that we should love them so much that we consider these things? That we consider the role we play as a mother and owe them an education that we have carefully considered?

What is your take on it? I'd love to know.

God Bless,

Julie

They Must Perceive that their Governors are Law-Compelled

2019-04-23T14:31:00.001-07:00

I was reading Home Education for my podcast Everyday Charlotte yesterday afternoon and I came upon a part that I felt was a particularly important message that mother's need to hear... I felt convicted as usual, but even more-so understood what exactly might have been the initial trigger for issues I'm dealing with my children at home and our consistency in school.

Life comes at you hard sometimes, babies being born, job losses, car problems, maybe just busyness gets you and you find yourself looking at your consistency and it just isn't there. I think we all find ourselves there at some point.

Take a read and I hope you feel encouraged and inspired to move forward, like I do.

Home Education, Volume 1

Training and Educating Children Under Nine

Pg. 15

They must perceive that their Governors are Law-compelled. --

Where is the beginning of this tangle, spoiling the lives of parent and child alike? In this: that the mother began with no sufficient sense of duty; she thought herself free to allow and disallow, to say and unsay, at pleasure, as if the child were hers to do what she liked with. The child has never discovered a background of must behind his mother's decisions; he does not know that she must not let him break his sister's playthings, gorge himself with cake, spoil the pleasure of other people, because these things are not right. Let the child perceive that his parents are law-compelled as well as he, that they simply cannot allow him to do the things which have been forbidden, and he submits with the sweet meekness which belongs to his age. To give reasons to a child is usually out of place, and is a sacrifice of parental dignity; but he is quick enough to read the 'must' and 'ought' which rule her, in his mother's face and manner, and in the fact that she is not to be moved from a resolution on any question of the right and wrong.

[You can also read it here on Ambleside Online with the surrounding paragraphs to get a better idea about where she is coming from in her point and where it leads further into other aspects of the raising of children.]

They must perceive that their Governors are Law-compelled. "Spoiling the lives of parent and child alike". These two statements had me feeling like I kind of got punched in the face. I feel like I haven't been showing my children a sufficient sense of duty. Although I often feel the mom guilt, guilt isn't enough. Earlier in the Preface she talks about The Way of the Will and the Way of Reason. You can hear the A Delectable Education Podcast discuss this subject Here.

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14. There are also two secrets of moral and intellectual self-management which should be offered to children; these we may call the Way of the Will and the Way of the Reason.

15. The Way of the Will. -- Children should be taught --

(a) To distinguish between 'I want' and 'I will.'

Read this passage and more in the Preface, Here on Ambleside Online.

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The Questions I asked myself after reading these two passages are:

1. If I, as their Governor, do not show myself law-compelled by adhering to duty and responsibility in raising my children then how am I to expect this behavior, habit, and character to grow in my own children?

2. Am I living my life raising my children as though I can do with them as I wish? Without any 'I must' parameters for myself?

Just a few thoughts I thought I would share on my journey through Home Education.

I would love to hear your thoughts!

God Bless,

Julie

Nature Study, English to French: Parts of a Plant

2019-04-22T10:55:00.001-07:00

I was going through some resources for how to learn a foreign language in the Early Years and decided to try out a short nature study lesson on The Parts of a Tree in English and French for my children. My children are not considered early years so this version fits. Charlotte recommends for the Early Years that children should not see French words written out, but instead only learn the pronunciation for each object. For more information on Charlotte Mason Foreign Language in the Early Years <<.

Click on the individual word to find a pronunciation:

Bark : Écorce
Branch : Branche
Bud : Burgeon
Bush : Buisson
Creeper : Liane
Flower : Fleur
Fruit : Fruit
Grass: Herbe
Leaf : Feuille
Leaves: Feuilles
Root : Racine
Stem : Tige
Stump : Tronc
Thorn : Épine
Twig : Brindille

French Vocabulary, I found this great resource for french groups of words
Collins Dictionary, And a dictionary to find French & English words

So, without further ado, here is a Nature Journal Study for English & French, Parts of a Plant!

Feel free to share this link with friends, for personal use only.

God Bless,

Julie

Little Forager Magnifying Glass - Nature Study Supply

2019-04-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

I thought I would come on and take a moment to add one of my latest favorite Nature Study supplies!

I have had my eye on these wooden larger handheld magnifying glasses for a while, biding my time for the right price. *Kikkerland Huckleberry was on the top of the list for a while, but then I started to think about best versatility for my littles as well as my older two children. I also considered the ease of holding it and the possibility of me being able to wood burn a design or name onto it for personalizing it for my kids.

I also considered the Hape brand for it's obviously sturdy and came with a few other accessories - and the price was better. *The Hape Nature Detective Set

But eventually I found the one I was looking for at a lovely site called Fawn and Forest It's called The Little Forager Magnifying Glass $12.00 and with the code DAFFODIL you can receive 10% off.

I purchased this for my 4 children and took the time to wood burn designs into all of them to match each of my children's personalities, along with their initials. They absolutely love them, they spent the day "investigating" everything. I enjoyed watching them explore.

If you want to see what I did with them head on over to Instagram @AmblesideWonderland

Happy Nature Exploring!

Learning to Read with Nursery Rhymes - Free PDFs

2019-04-04T12:15:00.001-07:00

"Let us recognize that learning to read is to many children hard work, and let us do what we can to make the task easy and inviting."

My second child is just about 8 and for the last year we've been working on things we probably should have focused on more in the earlier years. But alas, we cannot go backwards, so forward we go!

Charlotte has much to say on the subject of early reading and the order in which you can present learning their letters & sounds, even word building, which then leads on to the actual lesson of teaching how to read.

If you visit the page on Early Reading you can see I've gathered quite a few great sources for you to start using Charlotte Mason's philosophy of learning to read. It is a much gentler and enjoyable approach from some of the other ways. On that page there are instructions for how using this simple packet can be done the Charlotte Mason way -- as well as the specific pages she gives the instructions in one of her volumes. Just head on over there if you need more information on the how to.

I am, admittedly, in the beginning of learning how to implement this with my daughter since I took another approach with my oldest son and while it definitely worked, I'm not sure it was the best and most enjoyable way to learn to read.

We've been working through phonics using Explode the Code and though I'm not entirely sure if this would be Charlotte Mason approved, it's working for us. My daughter struggles with memory retention and this has really helped solidify letters for her. But I feel like it's time to start branching out to word building using our wood letters I purchased on Amazon* and some of the great resources available to show me just exactly how to go about doing this.

I recently found Simply Charlotte Mason's videos on YouTube and they've been very helpful as well. Here is one specific to Teaching Reading the Charlotte Mason Way.

While I'm on this journey I thought I would make my life a bit easier by creating a few beginning reading kits that help us in our first few lessons. I admit I didn't know what to call it so beware the title may not fit exactly what it is. Ha!

These are free to download and share! You can Download the individual files -- or the last one has all of them combined. Just click on the photo to download the file.

I found an amazing resource for Nursery Rhymes and feel like all of you should know it as well -- They had a plethora of adorable Nursery Rhymes and you can search through them according to alphabet or just by searching.

God Bless!

Julie

** Amazon Affiliate Link -- though this costs you nothing extra to shop from my affiliate links, they do in some small part support this page.

Education is a life

2019-03-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

I was finishing my reading for last week, Chapter 4 in For the Children's Sake by Sonya Schaeffer. It has been such great meat for my mind. This thought started to grow as I read the last few pages and I felt like I should make a written narration for myself. I'm talking through my thoughts here because I'm still learning myself and need this space to explore what it all means to me & I thought someone out there might benefit from following my journey through learning what CM means in the most authentic way.

For those that follow my podcast Everyday Charlotte you know the quote I kind of go by, my motto if you will, is inspired by this small quote from Charlotte Mason's writings, "Education is a life". I go a bit further with "Education is a lifestyle", in short because learning never ends and I want to raise my children to love it, accept it, and appreciate that we're all works in progress and will be our whole lives. They don't need to know everything right now.

Living ideas being introduced to you and your children should be an everyday thing. It should be a habit. It should be something we don't even have to think about. Get rid of everything that isn't living and this will make it an easy-ish transition. You may ask, "What are living ideas?" And I, personally, would answer your question with another question,"Which ideas excite your children (or yourself)?"

What drives you and your children forward to uncover the why? The how? Is it something that remains with you later? I believe what is living can be such a personal thing for each family to discover.

There are good authors, illustrators, & content; absolutely. But will every book I find living, give you the same feeling? Likely not. But you also won't know until you try a wide range of art, poetry, literature, musical compositions, free reads, handicrafts, etc which ones fill you up. And we also can't pretend to know what will always feed our children's minds with ideas that propel them forward, because they are persons all themselves.

So, we start with the good, the beautiful, the lovely. Tried and true masters of their professions. And then we gradually dig a bit further until we find those sweet spots that become near and dear to our hearts. And as we purposefully curate the ideas we introduce them to they will begin to really bloom. As we do when we start to discover the things that feed our spirits.

This small piece, "Education is a life. That life is sustained on ideas. Ideas are of spiritual origin..." They feed our spirits.

"...and God has made it so that we get them chiefly as we convey them to one another, whether by word of mouth, written page, scripture word, musical symphony, but we must sustain a child's inner life with ideas as we sustain his body with food."

#1 "...We get them chiefly as we convey them to one another." So, this could definitely be affirming our ideas during narration & conversations. Or even blog posts. The act of putting our thoughts to words can sometimes help us to complete the connections. I know this to be personally true, which is why I love conversations, taking notes, & blogging.

#2 "...as we sustain his body with food." Donuts taste amazing, but we all know if we feed our children that as a meal they will rot their teeth, their gut health will disintegrate, & their bodies won't have what they need to grow to be an adult. And that's our main job as their parent.

Treat their minds - our minds - with just as much consideration.

**For myself this has meant a lot of things in our lives and household had to change practically speaking -- downsizing/minimizing has been an integral part of our CM adjustments. Not just for a tidy house, but to give me time with my children to be free with them and set the example of self education, & the beauty of certain aspects of a Charlotte Mason education like nature study & journaling, painting, & digging in the things I personally find curious. If I want to ask these things of my children and interest them in changing the dynamic of how our family has come accustomed to I first have to be the example.

I'm always interested to hear how others have started implementing Charlotte Mason's Philosophies in their homes & homeschool. Feel free to drop me a line or comment below telling me some of the favorite living ideas you've discovered in your journey along the way...

God Bless,
Julie

Education & Nature Quotes - Free Printable

2019-03-05T10:37:00.001-08:00

Wintertime seems to be a convenient time to create printables, mostly because it's freezing outside and we're stuck in here so I might as well do something creative -- added bonus that it does not create a mess! Ha!

Honestly I started these ages ago, but just kind of forgot about them. I like to recycle things I've created in the past also and turn them into something new and useful. While these aren't so much useful as pretty I am perfectly okay with that because we all need beauty to inspire us, especially on freezing cold days when you can't be out in nature where you'd like to be.

Also, I think certain quotes just really help to remind you exactly what you need to. So, I like to put them up around my house and in moments where I may forget what I'm doing I read it and remember. And my mind is refreshed, my purpose renewed, and my drive reignites.

These are free to use and share! Happy Printing!

You can download them Here. (8.5" x 11")

I also created them in poster size if you'd like to take it to a printing company and have them printed out you can do that. Download the poster size Here. (18" x 24")

God Bless,

Julie

Optional: You can also now purchase these prints for $5.00/ea in my Etsy Shop In the Wild Wonderland without my logo.

I am, I can, I ought, I will - Free PDF

2019-03-04T21:11:00.000-08:00

So I had a request earlier today to create a printable with the "I am, I can, I ought, I will" and the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to dig in. It really didn't take me long to make one, then I got carried away and made 4. You know, just in case there's someone out there that likes bugs or the solar system more than flowers? Ha!

These are free to use & share.

I did my own take on Charlotte's I am, I can, I ought, I will, trying my best to remain in the spirit of it and incorporate some wonderful scripture in it as well. I may be biased, but I really like what I came up with. Let me know what you think!

You can download the >> 4 different options << and choose whichever one to print that suits you best, or print them all. I would absolutely love it if you'd tag me in a picture of it on instagram if you do use it -- instagram.com/amblesidewonderland

P.S. I decided to add one more that's a bit plainer, just for good measure. You can find that one below, just click on the photo to download the PDF. Happy Printing!

Optional: You can also now purchase these prints for $5.00/ea in my Etsy Shop In the Wild Wonderland without my logo.

God bless,

Julie

P.S.

Everyday Charlotte Podcast: An Introduction

2019-03-04T13:32:00.004-08:00

In case you hadn't heard yet, I started a podcast. Because I have so much free time, right? But in all seriousness the moment the idea popped into my head I could not get it out and figured that was probably a sign from God, added to the fact that my husband has in the last year purchased all the equipment needed for his own podcasts. And we're already reading all these books -- and I was having trouble finding audio books read well enough for some of them and figured I may as well jump the fence and dip my toes in the water.

I have to say, I'm really enjoying the process. And the opportunity to learn yet another skill. I've always loved reading out loud to my children and now they can listen to me read while they go to sleep if they want to. Or they can listen to a chapter that is scheduled that day for them while I help their other sibling. There are so many amazing books and this is just one more way we can squeeze in a few extra.

The podcast is based around the idea of old radio broadcasts -- my dad used to tell me stories about how they'd sit around the radio listening to their favorite show every week. The anticipation and the element of being drawn in to a story feels magical to me. So I have chosen a schedule that releases a new chapter of a different book 3 times a week. Each episode consists of a single chapter, this makes linking to a specific school day/week very easy for those who organize their school curriculum this way. (I do, so it's super convenient for me). At the end of the book I will then release a full episode with the entire book -- more audiobook style if that's what you're looking for.

Currently on the schedule is: Our Island Story by H.E. Marshall, The Handbook of Nature-Study by Anna Botsford Comstock, The Burgess Bird Book for Children by Thornton Burgess & 50 Famous Stories Retold by James Baldwin -- but coming up in the queue are a few like: Parables of Nature by Mrs Gatty, Viking Tales by Jennie Hall, & many more!

All the books and material I will read will be in the public domain.

A few sources of material I hope to add in the near future are:

Poetry
Parents Review Articles
Charlotte Mason's 6 Volumes
Possibility of adding Hymns (would love to know your thoughts!)
& The hundreds of other amazing public domain books I am compiling constantly

So far there are 6 episodes available -- more being released 3 times a week. You can follow me on instagram.com/everydaycharlotte and find the podcast on anchor.fm/everydaycharlotte or every other major podcast network! You can also follow along for the podcast and much more in the future at EverydayCharlotte.com

God Bless
Julie

AW Book Club: For the Children's Sake, Ch 2.

2019-03-04T11:54:00.002-08:00

I started an informal Book Club in the Facebook Group and we've been reading For the Children's Sake by Sonya Schaeffer Macaulay. This last week was Chapter 2 & this upcoming week we'll be reading Chapter 3 and taking a moment to share our notes and discuss a bit.

I admit the group is still rather small so conversation is light, I hope we can grow it into a beautiful conversational spot though.

I thought I might take a moment each week to post about my notes and my take away on what I'm reading. Sort of a written narration, so to speak.

This weeks reading was a bit confusing because I somehow managed to skip the end of chapter 2 and read almost to the end of chapter 3, then realized my mishap and tried to go back and read the missed parts which kind of left me with confusing notes. So, there's that.

Chapter 2, Children are Born Persons

Basic thought -- Children are not ours to mold. We are to provide them with the habits (faithfulness/consistency), the living books & ideas, time and space (letting alone), and expectations set based on the individuality of the child. The authority was given to us by God, but we live under the same rules.

The child is a person who needs to grow in knowledge. We only have some of that knowledge having been on earth longer and have lived and learned -- also as Christians we have the added knowledge of the word of God.

-- Something I wholeheartedly agreed with, but made me sad was this small part where she says, "Many adults now "have" a child, in the same way that they "have" a washing machine... "

Some words came to mind when I thought about this, children being born as an accessory or an object to further ourselves.

1. Possession

2. Power

3. Use

4. Ownership

How can I treat my children with the respect as a person to not ever think of them in an objective manner? To make sure that my end goal is always to help them discover who God made them and what place in life he created them to be?

What sort of a person is it whom we are holding? As a baby this child already is formed perfectly for the person God designed them to be. I often do wonder at my babies in excitement to discover the same time as they do, who they are.

-- Another small tidbit that gave me pause, "...bored by the sawdust-like religious slogans." Because I have felt inundated by those types of words myself throughout my lifetime and it has, at points, taken the living parts of the bible and drown them out. It is easy to make a "meme" out of biblical precepts and completely miss the life, joy, and gift in the whole meaning vs. the small part we take it out of context to make it into what we wish. And therefore it's like a branch pruned from a tree.

"We can only love and serve him and be his friend. We cannot own him. He is not ours."

As I read this I, for some reason, felt odd to myself that I had never thought specifically about my calling to serve my children individually, as any other person God has put in my life. We are to be servants to each other. Why did I never think of them in that way?

"...begin to clamor for an education which shall qualify their children for life rather than for earning a living."

I desperately want an education for my children that will give to them the whole of their life. Not just something to equip them for 40 hours a week and a paycheck. I passionately desire for my children to find a place in this world that will fulfill their purpose and be able to support themselves & a family.

"The more of a person we succeed in making a child, the better will he both fulfill his own life and serve society."

There's that serve word again.

"His mind is the instrument of his education and that his education does not produce his mind."

I will end with this thought... it's such a good one.

Have you read this wonderful book? What were some of your thoughts on it?

God Bless,

Julie

The Teaching of Nature Study Series, Part 2

2019-02-20T12:54:00.001-08:00

While reading this aloud for my upcoming podcast I was so inspired by this and decided I would share it with all of you as apart of the Nature Study resources. It has explained so much about what Nature Study should look like for me and I know it will help implementation wonderfully. Enjoy!

The whole book is available on Archive.org as it is in the public domain, >> click here << to find it.

In Nature's infinite book of secrecy

A little can I read.

-- Shakespeare

PART I.

_________

THE TEACHING OF NATURE-STUDY

WHEN AND WHY THE TEACHER SHOULD SAY "I DON'T KNOW"

No science professor in any university, if he be a man of high attainment, hesitates to say to his pupils "I do not know", if they ask for information beyond his knowledge. The greater his scientific reputation and erudition, the more readily, simply and without apology he says this. He, better than others, comprehends how vast is the region that lies beyond man's present knowledge. It is only the teacher in the elementary schools who has never received enough scientific training to reveal to her how little she does know, who feels that she must appear to know everything or her pupils will lose confidence in her. But how useless is this pretense, in nature-study! The pupils, whose younger eyes are much keener for details than hers, will soon discover her limitations and then their distrust of her will be real.

In nature-study any teacher can with honor say, "I do not know," for perhaps, the question asked is as yet unanswered by the great scientists. But she should not let her lack of knowledge be a wet blanket thrown over her pupils' interest. She should say frankly, "I do not know; let us see if we cannot together find out this mysterious thing. Maybe no one knows it as yet, and I wonder if you will discover it before I do." She thus conveys the right impression, that only a little about the intricate life of plants and animals is yet known; and at the same time she makes her pupils feel the thrill and zest of investigation. Nor will she lose their respect by doing this, if she does it in the right spirit. For three years, I had for comrades in my walks afield, two little children and they kept me busy saying, "I do not know". But they never lost confidence in me or in my knowledge; they simply gained respect for the vastness of the unknown.

The chief charm of nature-study would be taken away if it did not lead us through the border-land of knowledge into the realm of the undiscovered. Moreover, the teacher, in confession her ignorance and at the same time her interest in a subject, establishes between herself and her pupils a sense of companionship which relieves the strain of discipline, and gives her a potent element in her success. The best teacher is always one who is the good comrade of her pupils.

NATURE-STUDY, THE ELIXIR OF YOUTH

The old teacher is too likely to become didactic, dogmatic and "bossy" if she does not constantly strive with herself. Why? She has to be thus five days in the week and, therefore, she is likely to be so seven. She knows arithmetic, grammar and geography to their uttermost and she is never allowed to forget that she knows them, and finally her interests become limited to what she knows.

After all, what is the chief sign of growing old? Is it not the feeling that we know all there is to be known? It is not years which make people old; it is ruts, and a limitation of interests. When we no longer care about anything except our own interests, we are then old, it matters not whether our years be twenty or eighty. It is rejuvenation for the teacher, thus growing old, to stand ignorant like a child in the presence of one of the simplest of nature's miracles -- the formation of a crystal, the evolution of a butterfly from the caterpillar, the exquisite adjustment of the silken lines in the spider's orb-web. Let her go out with her youngest pupil and fall on her knees before the miracle of the blossoming violet and say: "Dear Nature, I know naught of the wondrous life of these, your smallest creatures. Teach me!" and she will suddenly find herself young.

NATURE-STUDY AS A HELP IN SCHOOL DISCIPLINE

Much of the naughtiness in school is a result of the child's lack of interest in his work, augmented by the physical inaction that results from an attempt to sit quietly. The best teachers try to obviate both of these rather than to punish because of them. Nature-study is an aid in both respects, since it keeps the child interested and also gives him something to do.

In the nearest approach to an ideal school that I have ever seen, for children of second grade, the pupils were allowed, as a reward of merit, to visit the aquaria or the terrarium for periods of five minutes, which time was given to the blissful observation of the fascinating prisoners. The teacher also allowed the reading of stories about the plants and animals under observation to be regarded as a reward of merit. As I entered the schoolroom, there were eight or ten of the children at the windows watching eagerly what was happening to the creatures confined there in the various cages. There was a mud aquarium for frogs and salamanders, an aquarium for fish, many small aquaria for insects and each had one or two absorbingly interested spectators who were quiet, well behaved and were getting their nature-study lessons in an ideal manner. The teacher told me that the problem of discipline was solved by this method, and watching the living creatures in the aquaria, or terrarium has been used as a reward for other work well done.

To be continued...

You can find this excerpt in a downloadable PDF file >> HERE << .

You can also listen to this on an Episode of The Everyday Charlotte Podcast,

coming soon...

With Purpose & Resolution, Against Obstacles

2019-02-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

“None of us can be proof against the influences that proceed from the persons he associates with. Wherefore, in books and men, let us look out for the best society, that which yields a bracing and wholesome influence. We all know the person for whose company we are the better...

Source of Ideas. --- It is well to get the idea which leads to a resolution from such a source. It is possible that this idea may come as a seed-thought to some reader -- may arrest his mind, form his intention, concentrate into purpose, strengthen into resolution -- that, if he can do no more for the world, his shall, anyway, be a Mansoul from whom wholesome, and not unwholesome, influence emanate.

The will, is in fact, the instrument by which we appropriate the good, uplifting thought that comes our way; and it is as we seize upon such thought with intention, act upon it with purpose, struggle, with resolution, against obstacles, that we attain to character and usefulness in the world. Conscience and Reason themselves are at the mercy of an idea which they have no been summoned to examine before its admission."Ourselves, excerpts from Chapter 9

I was searching for a particular passage and I couldn't recall where I'd read it and instead stumbled across these passages from a page in Ourselves. And it truly spoke to me in my current state of mind and situation.

This was by far my most favorite conversation on the A Delectable Education Podcast, I'm sure I've mentioned it more than one time, but the matters of the heart are such an important topic in parenting & life in general. And how they affect how we learn is, I'm realizing, extensive. The relationship between myself and my children will decide how they relate to the rest of the world. And I have to wonder at the influence I am portraying for them daily? Is it wholesome or unwholesome? And am I helping them to build a solid resolution in life with good uplifting thought? 

All of us have a choice to be the good influence, whatever we believe our purpose is in life it is first to be this. In conversation and also in action.

And also, who am I allowing to influence my resolutions? And how will I continue in the face of obstacles? I am so thankful to have found this little piece of wisdom again. 

"It is as we seize upon such thought with intention, act upon it with purpose, struggle, with resolution, against obstacles, that we attain to character and usefulness in the world."

God Bless

Julie