When it comes to working on language arts, spelling seems to fall into one or the other category. Having watched several students through the years tackle learning how to spell words and learn vocabulary, it seems they either get it easily or they struggle with each word. I haven’t found it to be totally reading dependent either, as I’ve seen good readers do poorly with spelling and the slower readers do excellently and visa versa.

Through the years we tried a variety of methods to help learn our spelling words. Writing each word out a zillion times, filling in the blanks with spelling words, crossword puzzles, word searches, word scrambles, and illustrating words.

Perhaps one of the most entertaining ways we’ve learned our spelling lists has been putting those words and vocabulary to practical use by writing letters to older siblings, relatives, or friends.

The first task was to use each word on their list in a sentence. This could result in some very interesting letters at times when there was a common theme of the current spelling list. Perhaps the list of words was about agriculture or medicine or mathematics or foreign words commonly found in our English language. The second task was to use the vocabulary words of the lesson with the definition given in the book, which can vary because words can often be used as different parts of speech. A word can look very different in a sentence when it’s used as a noun, a verb or an adjective.

When you put these two tasks together while attempting to write a letter, the final outcome is some very interesting letters which have stretched your child’s creativity. In fact, interesting would most times be an understatement as the letters tend to be quite humorous as well. There’s nothing like one of these silly sounding yet perfectly spelled letters from home to brighten the day of an older sibling who is a college student in the midst of finals! (and I believe that one of those former college students in our family probably has those letters still tucked away in a box in his home!) Or what about having your child write a letter to their grandparents who are skeptical about this crazy homeschooling stuff you’ve decided to try with their grandchildren? They could be quite impressed by the tone of the letter when your child uses challenging spelling and vocabulary words correctly.

Although my current students would probably enjoy using the letter method for learning spelling words, I’m finding that it’s time to be creative again. These girls are known for being over-the-shoulder Scrabble players every time I’m on Facebook playing my Scrabble games with friends. Since they enjoy this game so much, I’ve been working on making multiple squares of each letter on card stock that could be used on our Scrabble board while playing on the kitchen table. It could be quite a challenge for them to play only spelling words in a game and see who could outscore the other as they also use some math skills while tallying the point values of the letters.

There is no doubt that our English language is abundantly rich with words just waiting to be used.

Creatively learning how to use them enriches our language skills which will help in every subject area we teach our children and isn’t that really the heart of the matter?

Married in 1980 and still living in the same house in a woodsy rural setting, Tammy’s homeschooling journey began in the fall of 1987 when her oldest turned six years old. As rather new believers professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, homeschooling was a way to live out the principles found in Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Through all the challenges of life Tammy has stayed the course growing to a family with nine children who presently range from preschool age to college graduates married with children. Her role has transitioned from learning everything she could about homeschooling to becoming an encourager to others coming along the way. Please visit Tammy at Garden Glimpses.

Tags: creative homeschooling, creative teaching, spelling, writing

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

We have been married for 27 years…17 of them happily. After finding ourselves in a marriage counselor’s office around year 8 or so, we realized that we really didn’t know how to be married. We worked hard to turn things around and now we like to share that hope with other couples.

We have five children ranging from 13 to 25. Our oldest three are married. Anne (25) and her husband, Matt, live in Zion, IL, and are expecting our first grandchild in April. (We are very excited!) Evan (22) and his wife, Julie, have been married a year and a half and they live just a few miles from us. Erica (19) married her husband Kendall last September. They live in Augusta, GA, and wherever else the Army takes them.

We have two teenagers still at home. Kolya just turned 16. He’s learning to drive and we’ve nearly worn a hole in the carpet on the floor in the passenger seat trying to find that non-existent brake pedal. Kolya is the newest member of the Savage family. We adopted him at the age of nine from Russia.

Austin is 13 and in the 8th grade. He wants us to make sure and tell the world that this “living with less” life is a real bummer because he’s the ONLY kid in 8th grade who doesn’t have a cell phone.

Tell us about your newest book Living With Less So Your Family Has More?

The world screams the message that bigger is always better, but we have found that is not often true. When it comes to raising a family, less materially can actually result in more relationally. Children don’t need the best houses, the best lessons, the best cars, or the best clothes. What they really need is the best home life and the best family relationships we can give them.

Why did you want to write this book?

We didn’t start out with the “less is more” mindset. We started as a double income family wanting to have the “best” of everything. Then Mark decided to pursue ministry. We went from the “high life” to the “frugal life” very quickly as we moved to another state for him to go to Bible College full-time.

That experience introduced us to the concept that less is more. We definitely had less money, but we had more time. We had less stress and more peace. We had less activities and more fun.

Since that experience, we’ve continued to live primarily on one income for the past twenty years. We’ve had to battle cultural peer pressure and make different decisions for our family than many other families in our neighborhood have made. But we’ve never felt that we were materially depriving ourselves or our kids…instead we’ve focused on what we’ve actually been able to provide for them emotionally and relationally.

What do you hope your readers will gain from this book?

We hope the reader is encouraged to evaluate how they are living their life, spending their money, and thinking about family matters. Our goal is to introduce families to the “less is more” concept and then equip them with the attitudes and actions to actually make that happen.

For families that are already committed to less is more, we hope to bolster their resolve and help them stay focused on the long-term goal of providing relationally for their kids.

In today’s economy, there are many families being forced to live with less. We want to help them see the opportunity they have with this unexpected downsizing they’ve been forced to do.

And for those who have just been a little discontent with their life and saying things like, “I’m tired of the rat race of life,” or “Is there more to life than drive-thru meals for dinner?” we hope to help them see other choices they have and how they can lead their family in a different direction.

What unique elements will the reader find in Living With Less So Your Family Has More?

For couples who want to read the book together, we’ve included discussion questions at the end of every chapter. This helps move the readers to discussion and eventually actions. Even a single parent can use the discussion questions for personal evaluation.

Readers will find this book a practical guide to changing your attitude and your actions to live a successful “less is more” life. They’ll find our writing style to be a warm, casual, honest discussion where we not only share our victories but our mistakes along the way. We are an average couple living successfully on an average income who want to help others to see the possibilities before them.

This is a Hearts at Home book. What is Hearts at Home?

Hearts at Home is an organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood. Hearts at Home encourages moms through annual conferences, our extensive website (www.hearts-at-home.org), a free electronic newsletter, a radio program, and an entire line of books designed to meet the needs of moms all over the world!

Any closing thoughts?

It’s healthy for parents to occasionally pause and evaluate their vision for their family and the choices they are making. We hope this resource will help them do that together and that it will lead them to live a life of little regret.

Would you like to win a copy of Living with Less so Your Family Has More?
How can I win? Simply leave a comment on this post. If you are seeing this on Facebook, visit the post at http://heartofthematteronline.com/living-with-less-giveaway.

**Contest ends Friday, March 19th at 10pm EST, winners will be chosen and emailed by Monday morning and must respond before Friday, March 26th at midnight!

If you are not the winner, you can purchase a copy for only $9.35!

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Mattias is standing in his playpen, watching me. When I look at him, he smiles and begins to bounce. I pick him up and he kicks his legs in excitement.

Of course you can come, Big Guy. You like helping mommy with the chickens, don’t you?

He squeals in delight as I dress him. I could be finished with the chicken chores by the time he is ready to go out.

In comes Elianna, sleep still in her eyes as she inquires,

Mommy? I tum, too?

Of course you can come, sweetheart.

I could be finished with the chicken chores by the time she is ready to go out.
Finally, we are at the door, putting on shoes. The sky is considerably lighter as I hear Nisa shout from her bed.

Wait for me!

She calls, and we wait. She’s ready quick enough, but we can’t find her shoes. I could be finished twice more by the time we find them.

The morning air is chilly, the children silent. We make our way to the coop. Hunter trots in front, sometimes sniffing, sometimes barking. He knows where we are heading and he scouts the path, following scents along either side of the path, circling the coop twice, letting me know all is safe by sitting on the step by the coop door.

I put the baby in a toy car and hesitate for a moment. The great old tree in our field almost looks like it has been set on fire by the sunrise, and the whole property seems to glow in the morning light. The children are standing by the fence, looking at a puddle and waiting for the chickens to come out. Hunter is just waiting to see what we do next.

I go in, greeted by four chickens who think the best way to be fed is to dart under my feet while I walk. I move the concrete block guarding their door to the run. The chickens, realizing I don’t have food, walk down their ramp to enjoy the morning air.

My daughters squeal their good mornings. “Chickalee! Chickalee!” calls the two year old, excitedly. “Good morning, Dora!” shouts Nisa. The chickens run to the fence, peering at the children, wondering if maybe they brought the food. We stand, and we watch. There is a peculiar joy in caring for animals.

I wait until their interest wanes before we make it back to the house to start breakfast. Of course, we could be finished eating, if only the children hadn’t come along.

But this is what education is. A simple walk, an invitation to come along side, to join in my day. Some parts are formal, as I give assignments, correct mistakes and write new concepts on the marker board.

But the real lessons, the ones that mold who my children will one day become, those lessons occur in the simple tasks of the every day. They cannot be written into a lesson plan, nor measured with a quiz.

And ye shall teach them your children, talking of them, when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. –Deuteronomy 11:19

It is an easy enough concept for me to remember in the morning, before we have anywhere to be or anything to do. But as the day progresses and the schedule tightens, my priorities shift. My goal becomes completion rather than education. I want the meal cooked, the lessons finished, the house cleaned. The more stressed I am, the more the children are in the way.

Because I forget that this is exactly where I put them. Not “in the way” exactly. More “along the way,” where they can watch, and learn and grow.

Dana is homeschooling her five children while moving to the country. You can follow her plans and adventures while seeking to live life more abundantly at Roscommon Acres.

Tags: daily life, Encouragement, Homeschool Encouragement, homeschool in the everyday, Parenting, real homeschool life

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Schoolwork is quietly buzzing along by 8:00 a.m., so I decide to start the first load of laundry. After hanging the clothes out to dry, I sweep off the deck and water my spring starter plants. While the girls contentedly self-teach geometry and fractions, I work on an editing job. At mid-morning, we pause for carrot sticks with hummus and a poetry recitation. After our morning recess comes more learning for the teenagers and more work for me.

For lunch, my budding chefs whip up a delicious, healthful recipe from their home economics course. Following a general clean up of the kitchen, we’re ready for our art history lesson accompanied by our classical listening selections. Every afternoon includes a different extra-curricular activity for each well-rounded girl, so my sleek Nissan is always on the go.

A home-cooked meal followed by family devotions sets up our relaxed evenings of enjoying each other’s company as we play Scrabble, Borderline, or Monopoly until bedtime.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!! What’s that? Oh, time to get up. That’s the third time I’ve hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. Too bad, I was having such a lovely dream . . . Maybe next time I’ll be a little more practical about real time organization tips.

Bethany has been married for 16 years, homeschooling for 9 years, and organizing forever. She homeschools her two girls, grade 6 and grade 10, in North Carolina. She is also a partner in Codex Publishing, publisher of The Tutor and classic book reprints. When she isn’t homeschooling or driving the family taxi, Bethany enjoys reading, music, church activities, editing, writing, history, and keeping up with friends.

Tags: a day in the life, perfection, reality check, reality in homeschooling

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Our teens are part of Generation Y, or the Millennial Generation. They are defined as young people born between 1979 and 1994. They are digitally savvy and used to constant contact and instant feedback. Whether we agree or not, today’s younger generation has a reputation of believing they are entitled to high salaries and interesting jobs that won’t interfere with their personal lives. They are also characterized as having a lack of respect for the older generation.

Although generation gaps have always existed, today’s gap is so wide that the young people are called Technical Natives while those in the older generation are known as Technical Immigrants. Most middle-aged adults can text and e-mail, but if they want to do much else, they must find a teenager to help. Computer lingo seems to be the native tongue of our youth.

These differences impact teenagers as they seek to enter the work force. Strengths in the younger generation can become liabilities without job skill training. Never has this teaching been so important. The unemployment rate is over 10% for adults. In some places, it is double that for teens. Competition for after school jobs is steep. The jobs will go to those who know how to conduct themselves in an interview and how to interact with older employers.

I recently spoke with an area McDonald’s upper-level manager. She agreed that today’s youth come to the job with certain gaps in their skills. “They are very technically savvy, but they’re not used to manual labor. I have to teach them how to work hard. This generation requires more motivation than the young people of the past.”

I asked her if she had advice for teens as they go out on a job interview. “They need to remember that presentation is everything. How they dress, speak, and fill out the application are still as important as ever. The younger generation does not care about appearances, but they need to remember that they’re interviewing with an older generation that does value professional attire and behavior.”

What we consider basic common sense for on-the-job behavior still needs to be taught to our children. We will do our children a huge favor by reviewing job search skills while addressing specific problem areas pertaining to the Generation Y mentality.

Search the Internet for desirable employee traits and you will find promptness, reliability, honesty, and friendliness mentioned often. What do these qualities look like in the interview and early weeks on the job? Following is a list of pointers to go over with your young adult:

Talking Point for Teens:

• Dress professionally when you go out and apply for jobs. Different jobs require different attire. You would look odd applying at a food service job wearing a suit. The best rule to follow is to dress a little better for the interview than you would for a day on the job. Make sure your clothes are neat and clean. Do not wear t-shirts with offensive slogans. Flip-flops and tattered jeans are cool but not for interviews or work.

• Be prepared to fill out applications. Have a list of references and their contact information. It is best to discuss this with the references beforehand and have their approval before listing their names. If you have worked previously, have the employer’s address and phone number. Don’t sell yourself short. If you have experience through scouts or volunteer projects, list those under experience. You want to have your social security card with you when you apply.

• Practice interviewing. Hold a practice interview with your parents so you will be more prepared. Many Websites offer typical interview questions that you can use. Several teens and their parents could get together for mock interviews.

• Be on time. Be a little early, but do not be late.

• Turn off your cell phone during the interview or better yet, leave it in the car. Although your peers perceive phone calls or texts as acceptable interruptions when you talk, it is a job interview killer.

• Good old fashioned manners never go out of style. A firm hand shake while looking the potential employer in the eye are rare among young people. Thank the interviewer and consider a follow-up thank you note. Remember, they have done you a favor by taking time to interview you. You are not doing them a favor by coming in to apply.

• Follow up with a polite phone call if you have not heard from them in the time they stated. If you are turned down, thank them for the chance to apply and interview. Don’t burn any bridges; you don’t know what opportunities may open up in the future.

You’ve landed a job, now what? Certain skills will help you keep it.

• Always arrive on time with an attitude that says, “I am ready to work.”

• Remember that employers have paid for your full attention during work hours. It is not time to talk on the phone or text. You are hired to work, not visit with other employees.

• Never complain about your job, boss, or employer in front of customers or other employees. It will usually come back to haunt you.

• Use sick days sparingly. You don’t want to gain a reputation as being undependable.

• Address customers with friendliness and respect and look them in the eye.

• Be willing to work hard at your job and learn new skills. Be a self-starter and one who can finish projects without constant oversight.

With pointers from parents, practice interviews, and a warning list of job taboos, I believe our teens will be in high demand in the workplace.

What experiences have you had in your family with working teens from Generation Y? What advice would you add?

Resource List:

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

Young Person’s Career Skills Handbook

Websites:

therebelution.com – Alex and Brett Harris

About.com – Career Planning – Teen Job Skills

Jist Publishing – America’s Career Publishers

Job Interview Strategies for Teens Part I

Job Interview Strategies for Teens Part II

Rhodema lives the parenting adventure with Calvin, her college sweetheart. They have two adult daughters and two teenagers still at home, a girl and a boy. Their homeschool style is eclectic with a great love of living history books. Rhodema teaches women’s Bible studies and is a MOPS speaker. Her blog for moms is Herding Worms.

Tags: finding a job, generation Y, interview skills, interview tips, job hunting for teens, job search, teens in the workforce

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If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and teach my children Latin conjugations, Chinese and Portuguese, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal, and no matter what I say, they will not hear me.

If I have the gift of prophecy, and know my children’s bents and God’s plan for their lives, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and am the keeper of the teacher’s editions and solutions manuals, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and even keep up with my giant piles of laundry and dishes, but do not have love, I am nothing, even if all the people at church think I’m Supermom.

And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and my formal dining room gets turned into a schoolroom and our family vacations look more like educational fieldtrips, and if I surrender my body to be burned, never having time to get my nails done, put makeup on or even take a bath, but do not have love, it profits me nothing, because all my family cares about is the expression on my face, anyway.

Love is patient with the child who still can’t get double-digit subtraction with borrowing, and kind to the one who hasn’t turned in his research paper. It is not jealous of moms with more, fewer, neater, more self-directed, better-behaved or smarter children. Love does not brag about homemade bread, book lists, or scholarships and is not arrogant about her lifestyle or curriculum choices. It does not act unbecomingly or correct the children in front of their friends. It does not seek its own, trying to squeeze in alone time when someone still needs help; it is not provoked when interrupted for the nineteenth time by a child, the phone, the doorbell or the dog; does not take into account a wrong suffered, even when no one compliments the dinner that took hours to make or the house that took so long to clean.

Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness or pointing out everyone else’s flaws, but rejoices with the truth and with every small step her children take in becoming more like Jesus, knowing it’s only by the grace of God when that occurs.

Love bears all things even while running on no sleep; believes all things, especially God’s promise to indwell and empower her; hopes all things, such as that she’ll actually complete the English curriculum this year and the kids will eventually graduate; endures all things, even questioning from strangers, worried relatives, and most of all, herself.

Love never fails. And neither will she. As long as she never, never, never gives up.

Misty Krasawski is the overly-blessed mom of eight children whom she homeschools in sunshine-y Florida. She has been clinging ferociously to the hand of her Lord since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, homeschooling for the past thirteen years, and has eighteen more years ahead of her with the children who are glad she will have done most of her experimenting on those who went before. Her wonderful husband Rob has much treasure laid up for him in heaven for having been called to such a daunting task. After the house goes to sleep she can sometimes be found gathering her thoughts at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/MistyKrasawski.

Tags: Encouragement, Homeschool Encouragement, homeschooling patience, Love

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Steady Days is divided into forty readings, presented in short digestible chapters.

We live in a world that places a high value on organization and many of us were picture perfect examples of what that looked like before we had kids. So what happens after we have kids? Organization is a blessing to our family. So why is it so hard to get motivated? Why are simple things, such as getting dressed and looking presentable put to the back burner after we become mothers? You know the joke about the mothers who live in their pajamas or sweat pants with their hair piled on top of their head in a messy bun or ratty ponytail. Is this really the image we want to project about motherhood?

A prepared mother looks professional. Why are we walking through life doing the most important job in the world while looking the least professional?

Steady Days is about sharpening your skills and parenting with purpose and intention. If you’ve never been organized, you owe it to yourself and your children to question everything and begin to make small changes toward greater good.

It is possible to develop a plan for your day that allows you to juggle the many hats that you wear as a mother and homemaker, while still spending creative and flexibly structured time with your children.

Jamie Martin offers practical ideas for busy mothers that are thoughtfully challenging but not overwhelming. Her book offers encouragement and helpful tips for those struggling with organization and implementing manageable routines in their home.

Steady Days is a quick read that will get you on the path towards professional parenting and less harried days.

Karin Katherine is a proud stay-at-home mother of four who feels blessed to be the mother of 5 year old fraternal twin boys and two daughters, ages three and 10 months. You are invited to follow her homeschooling adventures at www.PassportAcademy.com and her adventures as a mother, wife, homemaker, decorator and organizer at www.MommyMattersBlog.com

Tags: Busy Mothers, intentional parenting, Jamie Martin, Organizing Your Home, professional motherhood, Reviews, Steady Days

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My husband and I married relatively late in life and had the first of three boys. It wasn’t until our oldest was school age that we began to realize he wasn’t like other children. Intense meltdowns, delayed potty training, not wanting to play with other children and poor eye contact had us going to several doctors. Many evaluations later we were told he was on the autism spectrum. Autism? You mean like ‘Rainman’? No, actually more like ‘Temple Grandin’. (If you have the chance please watch the HBO movie. It will be on DVD this summer and probably on itunes as well. I cannot rave about it enough.)

I had thought about homeschooling before he was school age. The thought of putting my precious boy on a bus and being away from him all day did not sit well with me. Also my husband and I were growing deeper in our Christian faith and we wondered what path God wanted us to take. I read and researched but the local school seemed wonderful and so off to Kindergarten he went.

It was bad. It was very bad. It was too noisy, too bright. He was overwhelmed. He couldn’t keep up with his classmates and he knew it. He had horrific meltdowns. By this time I was convinced I couldn’t teach him – he needed experts, right?

Our middle son went to the local Pre K program and was soon diagnosed with autism as well. As for our youngest? I knew he was different from the minute he drew breath. He literally screamed in the car for the first six months of his life and I went places I only absolutely had to go until we could turn him around in his seat. After a long hard fight on my part it became apparent to even the ‘experts’ that he was on the spectrum also.

By the time our oldest was in third grade I was starting to realize public school was just not going to work for our children. His teachers really didn’t want to have anything to do with a kid who had meltdowns and couldn’t bear to be touched. He was also showing signs of having trouble reading, though the school insisted that it was due to his autism. I knew it wasn’t but we couldn’t afford a private evaluation at the time. Our middle son was being bullied and the school wouldn’t do anything about it and started to have meltdowns of his own.

By the end of that year I was adamant – I wanted them home.

I started researching and reading again and even bought a curriculum. But my husband asked me to try them at another school that had a year round schedule and a smaller class size. If it didn’t work then we’d bring them home. Our youngest started the Pre K program and seemed to do well.

At first it worked. My oldest son had a wonderful teacher and my middle son seemed to like the smaller classroom. Then the bullying started. Here we go again.

We spent hours at school. IEP’s (Individualized Education Plans), FBA’s (Functional Behavior Assessments), BIP’s (Behavior Intervention Plans) were all written and either poorly implemented or not at all. I literally sat with my middle child most of the school day in his class. My children were suspended, restrained, thrust into ‘time-out’ rooms and finally my oldest one was charged with assault for – as the outraged juvenile probation officer put it ‘a clear manifestation of his disability’. (The charge was dismissed – my oldest is hypo sensitive and cannot verbally relate when he is sick. He had raging case of strep when he had this meltdown) Then our middle son had his own meltdown and the school called Social Services and accused me of medical neglect due to an utterance he made. (This despite the fact that my cell phone records showed I called our therapist the minute I stepped out of the school building.) Social Services found the complaint ‘unfounded’ but I cannot begin to tell you how much it hurt to have my mothering skills called into question like that.

Logically, I know my sons have more doctors than my eighty year old grandmother and DSS concurred, but it HURT. I cried out to God and He answered me. I was looking to the wrong ‘experts’.

That was it as far as my husband was concerned. God could not have made it any clearer if He’d rented a neon sign and put it in our yard. The boys needed to be home.

And they’ve been here every since. That was three years ago and though I go through periods of panic and worry that they aren’t getting the education they need, I truly know better. My oldest son does have dyslexia and we are now beginning the remediation process late. My middle son has Central Auditory Processing Disorder and the quiet environment of our home has helped him tremendously. Our youngest – who would have gotten the ADHD label if he’d stayed in public school – now knows square roots. At age seven. It’s hard having teaching kids that are smart in areas that I struggled with in school. I’m starting to realize my own education was sorely lacking and my love of self learning has returned. I’m learning alongside my boys and I love it!

So that’s our journey to homeschooling. It was a hard road to get here but I am ever so glad that we are here. God showed me that He is the ‘expert’ when it comes to our children and He knows their every need. He makes it clear to us that He has plans for each of our boys.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Peggy Dalley has been married to her best friend and husband for 13 years. She uses the eclectic approach to homeschool their three sons, 12, 10 and 7. Her interests include writing unit studies, Bible study, history and she is working hard to become a Proverbs 31:10 woman instead of a Proverbs 21:9 woman.

Tags: autism, autism spectrum, Central Auditory Processing Disorder, homeschool journey, homeschooling boys, meltdowns, Temple Grandin, Trusting God's Plan, why we homeschool

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We are striving to provide a creativity-rich home and learning environment for our kids. Creativity means letting go of restrictions and opening up possibilities. Open-ended projects and activities are among some of the best you can do to help stretch and preserve your child’s creativity.

Here are a couple of ideas of how to incorporate creativity into two areas, art and storytime, all using the “open-ended” technique:

- Family photo art. Take a random snapshot and tape it to the center of a page, then ask your child to continue the scene onto the surrounding paper “frame.” The completion can be realistic or surrealistic. That’s where creativity comes in!

- Magazine clipping completion art. Spread out before your kids a selection of objects clipped from a magazine….ranging from people to animals to inanimate objects. Let them choose one or more and glue them to a blank sheet of paper, then ask them to create the rest of the picture….using likely/real or imaginary scenery. Have them tell you a short story about their completed scene.

- Invest in open-ended art books, and have them in plain view for easy and frequent access. Our family favorites are the Scribbles and Doodles books by Taro Gomi (http://www.chroniclebooks.com/tarogomi/), and the Rosie Flo books by Roz Streeten (http://www.rosieflo.co.uk/chronicle.htm). Keep a box of colored pencils nearby and watch your kids’ creativity blossom!

- Enact around-the-table-storytelling. We do this sometimes at the dinner table. One person begins a story (a different person each time), making up and telling the first 2-3 sentences of a tale. Go in a circle, each person adding 2-3 more sentences to the story. See how crazy and complicated the story grows as you go!

- Story starters. For budding writers, story starters are among the best at helping reluctant minds branch out. If your child isn’t quite able to always think up storylines and plots on his/her own, consider giving story prompts. There are several terrific story prompt books at teacher resource stores, as well prompts from various websites online. (KinderKorner has a great list: http://www.kinderkorner.com/starters.html) Another fun and slightly more surreal book to spark written or spoken creative stories is Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick (http://www.chrisvanallsburg.com/harrisburdick.html).

Have fun!

Meg is a devoted wife to her husband, Ken, of 9 years, and mom and homeschooling teacher to her two children, five-year-old son “G” and three-year-old daughter “R.” When she’s not writing or creating something, Meg loves to cook for, host and entertain friends and family. She also enjoys reading, the outdoors, eclectic music, yoga, and studying history. You can read all about her adventures (and misadventures) at her blog, Muses of Megret and read her educational product reviews at Muse Reviews.

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All throughout the month of March, St. Patrick’s Day decorations can remind you and your family to pray for Christian missions and to highlight the need for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

St. Patrick’s Day GREEN can remind us that we’re all called to GO and preach the Gospel!

Enjoying Missions Throughout the Year: MARCH

For many people, St. Patrick’s Day is nothing more than a holiday to commemorate the traditions of Ireland. People wear “Irish” green; stores decorate with shamrocks, leprechauns, and rainbows; and restaurants feature meals of corned beef, cabbage and potatoes, or green-colored mint milkshakes.

To others, March 17th is a day to gratify the flesh: to guzzle beer or to glorify sinful lifestyles through disgraceful city-wide parades and demonstrations. How far (and low) we have come from the real story of St. Patrick and his early missionary sacrifices to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of Ireland. Today, more than ever, our world desperately needs the Lord, and the message of the God’s salvation that St. Patrick preached.

Do your kids know that St. Patrick was a missionary?

All throughout the month of March, we should remember the real missionary story of St. Patrick. Whenever we see GREEN decorations (in stores, restaurants, etc.), we can use these as sporadic “reminders” to teach our children that we’re all called to GO and to share God’s GOOD NEWS.

Quick Facts:

• St. Patrick’s Day – MARCH 17th
• Patrick was the first Christian missionary to Ireland.
• In the United States, celebrations include city parades, Irish cultural celebrations, and the wearing of green.

Who was Saint Patrick?

“Saint” Patrick (389 – 461 AD) actually went to Ireland twice – first as a slave, and later as a missionary. Born in Britain, Patrick is widely known as the first Christian missionary to the Irish people. During his youth (from 16 to 22 years old), he was captured and taken to Ireland. While there, young Patrick repented of his sinful, backslidden condition. Years later, after escaping to his homeland, he received a vision from God calling him to return to the Irish people to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. Patrick obeyed God’s call and went back.

For the remainder of his life, Patrick ministered among the unreached tribes of Ireland– confronting Irish idolatry and sorcery, converting many to Jesus Christ, and baptizing thousands of people. Tradition says he used the three-leaf Irish clover to teach the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

According to historian William Federer, who wrote St. Patrick: The Real History of His Life, From Tragedy to Triumph, “He was actually a missionary and he converted 120,000 druids from paganism to Christianity.” Federer claims that in the fifth century A.D., Patrick did more than perhaps anyone in history to spread Christianity in Europe. Although druids attempted to kill him over a dozen times, Patrick continued to preach the message of Jesus Christ, and throughout his ministry he pioneered over 300 Christian churches. Patrick also spoke out against slavery and because of this, some call him the world’s first abolitionist.

Mission-Minded Family Resources:

To learn more about St. Patrick, I recommend Hero Tales – Volume III by Dave & Neta Jackson (Bethany House Publishers). Along with the short biography summary, St. Patrick: Missionary to Ireland, the Jacksons include three devotional stories (each with a focus “From God’s Word” and “Let’s Talk About It” discussion questions) to read aloud:

“Your Ship is Ready” — Trust
The Fire on the Hill — Boldness
Blood on the White Robes — Righteous Anger

Focus on the Family has a surprisingly accurate Adventures in Odyssey that features St. Patrick’s Day. Also, VeggieTales has a funny “flannel graph” version of the St. Patrick story, which is surprisingly historically accurate, on the VeggieTales DVD, Sumo of the Opera.

Family Prayer Focus:

Pray for God’s peace throughout Ireland and Europe, especially between Protestants and Catholics. Pray for the true message of God’s salvation to spread throughout this area, and for today’s missionaries who are sharing the Gospel. Remember people in the United States who are celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and for people who need Jesus to hear about the real story of St. Patrick, and the Gospel message he preached. Pray also for your family to have an obedient heart to go wherever God would call you to go.

This article is adapted from “Enjoying Missions Throughout the Year” from Ann’s new book, The Mission-Minded Family – Releasing Your Family to God’s Destiny. Ann is an international minister alongside her husband, Jon Dunagan (with Harvest Ministry) and a homeschooling mother of seven kids (ages 9 to 23). During the month of March, Ann and her 12-year-old homeschooled daughter, Caela, are on mission trip to help orphans in UGANDA, EAST AFRICA. You can follow Caela’s LIVE mission updates on Ann’s twitter updates, watching for posts marked #CaelaOnMission.

Ann Dunagan is a longtime homeschool mother of 7 (with 3 graduates). Since 1987, she and her husband Jon have ministered worldwide with Harvest Ministry. Ann is co-founder of two African orphanages, writer for “Better Parents, Better Families” on the Christian Post and “The Missional Mind” with Biblica, and author of several books including The Mission-Minded Family.

Tags: Adventures in Odyssey, Ann Dunagan, family prayer, Harvest Ministry, Hero Tales, Ireland, Missions, St. Patrick, Sumo of the Opera, The Mission-Minded Family, VeggieTales

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