A library basket: Several years ago I got a gift card to Pier One and used it to buy a large, pretty basket we now have sitting in our living room. I have trained the kids to store all library books in that basket when they are not being read. This helps a lot with misplaced library books, and also keeps things tidy when we bring stacks of books into the house! I also recommend getting familiar with your library’s online system so you can keep up with when your books are due.

Brita Pitcher (or some other form of water dispenser): My husband actually bought this recently, but I have found that the kids and I are all so much better about drinking the filtered, cold water from this pitcher than we ever were about drinking from the tap! Ideally, I would love to have one of those drinking fountains with the little cone-shaped cups for the kids to get their own water, but this pitcher does the trick just fine!

Grocery List: I bought a pad with a magnet on it at Michael’s for $1 and use it to list our grocery and other needs as I see them. This way it helps me to write things down as soon as I see we have run out of them. (Now if I could just get my husband and kids to do it!) When I get ready to go to WalMart or the grocery store, I just tear off my list and go. Of course, there always seems to be something left off the list, but I do feel more organized with the list than without it.

Electric Pencil Sharpener: I just bought this after years of wanting one. This was my big school supply splurge for the year! The kids have had a blast sharpening pencils with it, and it helps eliminate those pesky shavings that never seemed to make it into the trash. I bought a large stock of #2 pencils and they are all neatly arranged in a pencil box waiting to be sharpened and used throughout the year.

Mechanical Pencils: This falls into the above category, and is what my kids enjoyed using last year. These pencils are nice because they don’t need to be sharpened. I have found that my older kids would rather have these to write with. Find them on sale at rock bottom prices now!

Assignment Books: I started this practice years ago so that my kids could be more responsible for their work each day. Every day I use my teacher plan book to list out what they need to do for that day. I include chores, household duties, personal grooming, and outside activities in addition to academics. They love having what is expected of them spelled out, and I love putting the accountability back on them. I use a 5×7 notebook with a vinyl cover as that is more likely to last the whole year without wearing out.

A Written Schedule: I fought against this for years, as I wanted to be more “unschool-ish” and not have a schedule, but I have found that having a specific time to get up, shower, do chores, complete activities, have rest time, etc. really helps us all to flow through our days better. I have scheduled our read aloud times this year, for instance, just to make sure they have a time appointed, which will hold me accountable. I also have scheduled computer time for myself, to keep me from squandering time that should be spent with the kids! I think that the “Managers of Their Homes” book is great for learning more about scheduling, though my schedule is nowhere near as regimented as they recommend! My schedule is really just a “routine,” but it works for us!

Wipes: Last but not least, I have to put in a vote for how easy wipes are when assigning chores. Whether it is cleaning a bathroom, dusting, or cleaning windows, I can hand my kids of all ages a wipe for the job and send them off to do whatever it is! Even my little ones want a wipe to pitch in and do their part. Instead of having to oversee spray bottles and cloths, the wipes are convenient and disposable. Granted, they are more expensive, but they’re still cheaper than hiring a maid!

Please share what you have found to make life easier by leaving a comment. I can’t wait to learn from you guys!

Marybeth Whalen is homeschooling mom to six children ranging in age from teen to toddler, as well as a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries. In her writings, she addresses things like burnout, dealing with interruptions, and handling homeschooling from a very practical perspective. Be sure to visit her blog, Cheaper by the Half Dozen.

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3. To school or not to school? That is the question.

The object of this study is to take some time out of our busy, often chaotic days and spend some time with women who have gone before us. Not just any women, but 26 women of the Bible. We’ll “Walk Among Them” and see how their stories relate to our lives. It’s my hope that we will discover God’s presence and grace in our own lives as the lives and lessons of these women unfold before us this year.

Walking Among Them, Elizabeth

(Read Luke 1)

Sometimes God shows up when we least expect it. Just ask Elizabeth. Elizabeth is as old as the hills and is, by all accounts, in no condition to bear a child. She comes from a long line of priests and has been married to her husband, Zechariah, for years, and still no child. It just does not seem fair to those who know her. Perhaps, just perhaps, like some of the women we have walked with previously, God had greater plans for this barren woman. After all, we KNOW, God is GOOD, ALL the time. Even when it looks very bleak, all the time, God is GOOD.

We meet Elizabeth in the middle of her story. In fact the beginning of her story is really her husband’s story. Her husband Zechariah had been chosen to offer incense at the Temple sanctuary. It was a big deal…a VERY big deal. At the time there could have been 8,000 priests and a priest could expect to offer incense once or twice in his lifetime. It was Zechariah’s moment. Little did he know what was about to transpire at God’s hand. Then the angel appeared, and as the angels do, it told Zechariah, who was by this time likely terrified, that there was no reason to be afraid.

“Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will give you a son and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many of the Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Luke 1:13-17

The angel gives Zechariah news that he has longed to hear for decades; his wife is going to have a child. The angel goes into great detail, and even that isn’t enough for Zechariah, who just can not comprehend this news. Just to prove that this is God’s doing, Zechariah is silenced and unable to speak until the child is born. Zechariah leaves the temple unable to speak and returns after his week of service at the temple to his home where Elizabeth is waiting. Indeed, the angel is right, as they always are! Elizabeth becomes pregnant, and instead of questioning, she rejoices in Luke 1:25;

“How kind the Lord is! She exclaimed. He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

I often imagine what it must have been like for Elizabeth to live those nine months without a word from Zechariah.

It was in Elizabeth’s sixth month that the story picks up in Luke 1:26. We learn that Mary is also pregnant. Quite the contrary to Elizabeth, Mary is engaged to be married and is significantly younger than Elizabeth, but they are cousins. Mary visits Elizabeth. It’s one of the most widely read passages in the New Testament. Many scholars speculate that Mary may have been visiting Elizabeth at this time as a way to protect her from the community that could have her killed for becoming pregnant. At that time, it was commonplace for the fiancés family to honor kill the girl, since a bride’s price had been paid by Joseph’s family. (women of the bible.net) Mary made this journey to Judea. This was not an easy journey for a pregnant girl. It likely took her several days to arrive at Elizabeth’s home. This ladies, is when the story becomes miraculous.

“Mary entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaiming to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me. When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed the Lord would do what He said.” Luke 1: 39 – 45

Elizabeth is humbled and honored. She allows the Holy Spirit to flow through her as she exclaims this joy to Mary.

Elizabeth delivers a son, who was named John. The tradition would have had it that his name would have been Zechariah, but Elizabeth insisted that his name was John. Many questioned it saying that there was no one with the name John. Once the child was given his name, Zechariah’s speech returned and he gave the prophetic words in which he told that “his son would be a prophet of the Most High and would prepare a way for the Lord.“(Luke 1: 67- 76)

That is the last we hear of Elizabeth. We know that she is very old at the time of John the Baptist’s birth and likely did not see him grow into manhood. He story ends here, but as we walk with Elizabeth, we imagine for a bit, a woman, with feelings and fears much like our own, and yet a woman with tremendous faith. Elizabeth had the kind of faith that accepted God’s great plans for her life, even when they came at an unlikely time and presented her with completely unexpected results. Elizabeth is a our reminder this week, that “God is GOOD, ALL the time.” God will take the unqualified and qualify them and use them in ways that are unimaginable.

With each woman that we study, I’ll have some thoughts and ideas for reflection, meditation and journaling that will be called “Reflections from the Walk.” It’s in Walking Among Them that we can learn lessons that we can take with us on our daily walks.

Reflections from the walk:

Think for a moment about Elizabeth. Truly imagine that you are walking with this wise woman who has just confirmed that she is carrying a child at this unexpected time in her life. What would you ask her? Would you ask her why she thinks this is happening now? Would you ask her why her husband isn’t able to speak? There are many questions that I would have loved to have asked Elizabeth, the most pressing being, where does your FAITH comes from? Are you the least bit afraid? You are after all, an old woman.

Life begins with women giving life. Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist! God’s greatest plans for her life came at a time that she least expected it. Do you ever feel as if you have missed the timing for God’s plan for your life? Do you ever feel like, God’s greatest plans are meant for someone else and not you? Elizabeth’s story reminds us that God’s plans never cease. God’s plans are HIS plans. God’s plans will be carried out in the unlikely and unqualified among us. I encourage you to open your heart, and pray an honest prayer to God, nothing fancy, just honest, asking God to USE you the way He used Elizabeth. In asking God to use us in however HE needs, is asking Him to use us the way He used Elizabeth. No questions asked just honest submission.

We are told that Elizabeth is “filled with the Holy Spirit” when she speaks to Mary. Do you find yourself “filled with the Holy Spirit?” If yes, when? If no, pray and submit that prayer to God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and ask Him to use you as the vessel in which He can speak to others.

A PDF version of this study is HERE.

Join me next time where we’ll walk with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Lori is a 5th year homeschool mom to 3. Currently she homeschools an 9th grader, a 7th grader and a 5th grader. Lori hopes to impart peace and inspiration amidst the daily chaos. It’s in the daily details of life that she is continually inspired! Be sure to visit her blog at All You Have to Give and at Internet Cafe Devotions.

It must have been an amazing visit between Mary and Elizabeth. As I read these stories and allow them to be more than words on a page, I imagine the encounter between these ladies. What did they eat? What did they talk about afterwards? Did they share other stories? Fears? Expectations? Did they talk about WHAT God was doing through them? Spend some time reflecting on the fact that these two holy women were women just like you and I. They had feelings and passions that we all share. Imagine the time that they spent as “girlfriends.” Do you cherish the time you spend with special female friends or relatives in your life?

Technorati Tags: Bible study, Book of Luke, Christian Women, Devotional Study, Elizabeth, Lori's Articles, Walking Among Them

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Welcome to this week’s version of Repartee! Freedom is the subject in honor of the 4th of July. I imagine grills nationwide will be smoking all kinds of great stuff tomorrow–I can just smell them now! Isn’t it wonderful when families get a chance to spend quality time together? My husband has both today *and* Monday off so we are super lucky this year.

Here are my questions for you this week:

Leave a comment by Thursday and have a great week!

Technorati Tags: Heart of the Matter Online Meme, question of the week, repartee

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Try these tips to free your child’s inner Shakespeare:

• Let your child start a blog. Free sites such as Blogger and Wordpress make blogging easy. Settings can be made private, so you control who has access to your child’s work. Blogging gives children an informal medium for written work and comments from friends and family provide instant encouragement.

• At the end of the year, publish your child’s blog in book form. The book can be as simple as pages printed at home and placed in a binder. Publishing sites such as Blurb, make it easy to print books at low cost, especially if you only include text entries.

• Write essays for fun and profit – or at least as contest entries. My son can get motivated to write a 200 word descriptive essay in no time at all when he is entering to win a Lego gift certificate. He has yet to win, but he isn’t deterred. Search online for contests that pique your child’s interest. Organizations and businesses from AAA to your local deli frequently sponsor contests with specific criteria for essays. (Prompted writing? Nah, let’s not call it that.)

• Let the words support the pictures. If your child is more motivated to draw than write, let him create a graphic novel. (We called them comic books when we were kids.)Your child may prefer to create his own or you can use blank versions found online at minimal cost.

• Challenge your child to keep a journal, describing something – anything – that happened the day before, but without specific requirements for the entry. Some experiences are best told in picture form, some require only a sentence or two and some may lead to a flow of words.

• Promote your child to author. Allow your child to choose a high-interest topic that lends itself to a good book. The youngest students may only have a sentence per page, with older children working up to chapter books. Work with your child to create a bound book, complete with dedication and an “about the author” page. Type (or have your child type) the manuscript and allow your child to illustrate each page or chapter. Bind the books simply at home with a scrapbook paper cover or paste the text and illustrations in a blank bound book.

Chris Worthy is mom to Caroline (15) and Nolan (10) and will soon celebrate 20 years of marriage to her favorite person, John. Chris practiced law before becoming a writer and stay-at-home mother more than 10 years ago. She enjoys cooking, crafting, spoiling dogs, green living and rummaging though old books. Follow along at www.chrisworthy.com

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I also would like to present to you a new page that shows off the beautiful people here who make Heart of the Matter possible. We have a good looking team don’t we!!

Brenda is a classically eclectic mother of 5, who has a wonderful husband that encourages her to be the best woman that God has created her to be. Together they are very intentional about spending time together as a family and she blogs about their homeschool journey and family traditions at Tie That Binds Us.

Heather Woodie is a homeschooling mom of four kids ages 10, 8, 6, 3 and wife to a handsome chemical engineer for 13 years. Before raising a family, she taught middle school science and has a masters degree in curriculum and instruction secondary education. Now teaching at home means the chance to provide the extraordinary for her children. Between family and homeschooling time, she is working as volunteer staff for MOPS International as an Area Coordinator for NY State. She’s been homeschooling four years and you can read about those adventures on her blog, Blog She Wrote.

Kendra Fletcher is the homeschooling mother of eight, ages 16 down to one year. She has never known what it means to homeschool without the presence of preschoolers, and loves to encourage other moms beginning their homeschool journeys with little ones underfoot. Her website and blog can be found at Preschoolers and Peace

Aaron Horton is a Christ-follower, who also happens to be a loving husband and father to three great kids. He works in a finance role for the building products industry, but has a variety of creative interests to keep him busy on nights and weekends. He dreams of one day retiring to the beach with his wife – to minister to beach bums and golfers, of course!

Jolanthe has found that she learns just as much {if not more} as her kids through homeschooling. She has been married for almost eleven years and has four children ages two through eight. Her interests include photography, organizing, re-organizing and blogging. You can visit her at her blogs No Ordinary Moments and Homeschool Creations.

Jimmie is a former public school teacher turned homeschooling stay-at-home-mom. A sense of humor, faith, and creativity keep her “pressing on” in her unique situation — living and traveling abroad with an only child in a bilingual environment. Visit her blog at Jimmie’s Collage.

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“Consider the following four dead-end kids. One was spanked by his teachers for bad grades and a poor attitude. He dropped out of school at 16. Another failed remedial English and came perilously close to flunking out of college. The third feared he’d never make it through school–and might not have without a tutor. The last finally learned to read in third grade, devouring Marvel comics, whose pictures provided clues to help him untangle the words. These four losers are, respectively, Richard Branson, Charles Schwab, John Chambers, and David Boies.” Found Here.

• Then check out Casdok’s Autistic Rap.

• Like comics and wish there were more about Autism? Check out Joey Comics. The cheery pictures are bound to grab a smile or two.

• You could even go check out this great story over at the Dyslexia Diaries about how the right teacher can change everything.

• How about a devotional? Are you homeschooling and ready to give up? Read “The Calling” by Stephanie Scarborough. My teachers say I’m addled . . . my father thought I was stupid, and I almost decided I must be a dunce.– Thomas Edison

• Still stressed? RELAX HERE

Angela DeRossett is military wife, homeschooling mother, and an advocate for autism research. Angela can be found blogging at Homeschooling the Chaotic Family and Memoirs of a Chaotic Mommy.

Technorati Tags: autism, dyslexia, Encouragement, learning disabilities, relax, Scripture

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It was so beautiful outside yesterday that after the kids were done playing I got the bowl I’d been saving in the freezer and set up a mini-excavation site on the back porch. I told the kids they could use salt, a spoon, and warm water to try and figure out the best methods for extracting all of the little things frozen in the ice. I also announced that the person who collected the most would win a prize. They loved it–and they learned a few things too about the states of matter. That is our theme this week!

Things you will need:

• bowl to freeze water in
• food coloring if you choose to color it
• little things from around the house like buttons, paper clips, etc. to freeze
• spoons
• salt
• water
• cups
• and anything else on hand you think they could use.

Here’s a tip–freeze it in layers or all of the goodies float entirely to the top or the bottom and that’s no fun!

Angela DeRossett is military wife, homeschooling mother, and an advocate for autism research. Angela can be found blogging at Homeschooling the Chaotic Family and Memoirs of a Chaotic Mommy.

Technorati Tags: all ages, DIY, hands on learning, Projects, science, states of matter, summer fun, Summer School

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If you are reading Heart of the Matter through RSS or email, we would be so happy if you stopped by every once in a while to say hi and give your input.

Now, read on for a handful of insightful comments from last week! And keep ‘em coming…YOU could be in the spotlight next week!!

“Organized Relaxation?”

Lori, from All You Have to Give, says

Great neurotic minds think alike!! LOVED it and having just returned from a long trip overseas…there IS no other way!! WONDERFUL posting!! I’m a list gal and it just never stops!

“Creative Homeschooling - Week One”

Jo Bekis says

I absolutely love this homeschooling page, its so fantastic, every child loves to be creative, and parents want to do something equally creative with their kids - well its what keeps them happy. I love the animated reading article, kids do love stories, as a published author myself I’ve combined activities for parent and child within my book. Its based around fun educational story telling with an activity.

“11 Tips for Successful Family Trips”

Vicki, from the blog Victorious 1’s, says

Great tips! We like to take a cooler with fresh food along and our tip to save on buying cold ice, is to use complimentary ice while at the hotels to either re-fill or chill down your ice-packs. Saves a ton of money if you don’t have to buy ice each day.

“The Dress”

Jimmie, from the blog Jimmie’s Collage, says

What a powerfully written testimony to the power of a mother’s heart — both your own mom’s and yours! Thanks for sharing this touching anecdote. I have one child — a girl — and I am so blessed.

Beth, from the blog Pages of Our Life, says

What a special gift from your mother. I have tears in my heart after reading this. Somehow, I think you will never want to give that dress away, even after it has been used as it was intended. This was a beautiful story and I’m so glad you could share it with us.

“Creative Homeschooling: Math”

Laura Duksta, NY Times Bestselling author, says

Great Game!!! Sounds like you might enjoy my book-I Love You More–do you have it yet? One of my favorite games to play with my nieces and nephews is the “I AM” Adjective game…I Am Awesome! I Am Brilliant! I Am Courageous! You go through the alphabet using empowering adjectives…it’s amazing the magical space it creates!

“Repartee: Paying it Forward”

Chris Worthy, from ChrisWorthy.com, says

Nikowa, This is such a great reminder for me. I tend to do things like make a meal or bake a treat for someone, but my children are not involved enough in that. I need to plan around what they feel inspired to do to pay it forward. Going to ask them right now.

Sherry says

I love doing things like this.  Just in the past week, I put some extra money in the parking meter for the person next to me whose time was about to expire. Last month I brought a couple of chickens I got on sale at the store to a homeschooling friend whose husband was presently out of work. We’ve also given a gas card secretly to church members whose husband was without a job. Last year we paid for someone behind us in line at the fast food restaurant. The kids love helping out and I try to explain to them that we don’t have to let someone know when we do something.

Technorati Tags: comments of the week

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There is a myth that through homeschooling you can achieve…more than a normal life.

I want to raise the next George Washington, Albert Einstein, or, for a current example, Ravi Zacharias. In my dream, my children are famous, and make a positive impact as salt and light in the lives of multitudes. Maybe this will happen, but, most likely, they will live a normal life.

They will grow up to be employees, business owners, parents. They will struggle when making life-altering decisions. Their clothes will get dirty, and they will experience pain. Hard work is before them.

How do I best prepare my little ones to value this earthly routine? Can a quiet life ebb with joy through the trials to come? Proverbs 4:23 admonishes,

Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, the Latin root of the word diligence is to love earnestly; to choose. Love takes constant effort, steady application, and exertion, but without it life is meaningless. Heroes love whether or not acknowledged by the crowds. They walk amid the common things and extraordinary events knowing that even an ordinary life is worth sacrifice.

Salt is meant to be sprinkled, not poured. Light illuminates, but even the sun does not shine everywhere at once.

Renae teaches her eleven-year-old son and two little girls at home. She has prepared lesson plans, enjoyed children’s literature, and delighted in discovery with her children for five years. By studying Principle Approach philosophy, she realized what she always suspected: the Bible lies at the heart of all subjects. Find her reflections at Life Nurturing Education.

Technorati Tags: Albert Einstein, christian living, George Washington, Grown Without School, Little House on the Prairie books, Ravi Zacharias, Scripture, Webster's 1828 Dictionary

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