FREE Printable Charades for The Magician's Nephew

Our family LOVES playing games together.  A few weeks ago, our power was out for a few hours, and we decided to play charades.  We had a ton of fun, and we started using Charades as a fun way to review some of the things we've been learning. 

We just finished reading The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis last week, so I thought it would be fun to make a printable for reviewing the book.  You can get your copy here. 

As we read through the rest of The Chronicles of Narnia, I hope to post some more fun review games.

Hope your family has as much fun with these as we have! Enjoy!

Be the Light

Storms will come into each of our lives, and it's so easy to lose sight of all that God has for us when the wind and rain are threatening to overwhelm.  This can be personal circumstances or discouragement over how the world is as a whole.

And I am so guilty of this.  I tend to talk about the hard stuff a lot, and it can come across as pessimism.  It also threatens to steal my joy sometimes. 

Now, there's nothing wrong with dealing with the hard stuff.  Sin needs to be addressed.  We should definitely be concerned about the state of our world and the souls in it.  But we can't let that overshadow God's promises. 

Christ took our punishment and has redeemed us.  (Gal. 3:13)

He has promised to be with us always. 
(Matt. 28:20)

He will provide for all our needs. 
(Matt. 6:31-32, Phil. 4:19)

He is our hope.
(Psalm 39:7, 1 Peter 1:3)

In times of hardship, we also must remember Christ's command:  to love one another (John 13:34-35).  Love is so much more than a feeling, so much deeper than words.  It is being there for others, in whatever form that may take. 

At times, this might look like providing for their physical needs.  At others, it may be lending a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.  Sometimes, this may even mean saying some things that are hard to hear that they may repent and make the necessary changes.

My hope is to be a light shining in the darkness, showing God's love to others.  To be a friend to someone who needs it, to love on someone when they feel there is no hope.  To be someone's rainbow amongst the clouds. 

Let's follow Christ's command to love each other.  Let's help to ease each other's burdens and lift each other up, that others may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.  (Matt. 5:16)

 

I'm an idolater (and you probably are too)

The title may sound harsh, but it's true.  And it's something I feel like we can fall into more easily than we realize. 

When I think of idolatry, I usually think of being power or money hungry.  Or of the classic praying-to-statues-type of idolization.  And I've always felt that I do a good job of steering clear of those. 

But God recently showed me myself, and I wasn't at all what I thought I was. 

You know those times when you're in the thick of an argument, or you're crying out to God about the injustice of it all, only to have your sails deflate as your heart stands convicted?

That's what I felt.  I was praying to God, feeling justified in my hurt and anger as I cried out to God to convict someone's heart for how they'd wronged me.  I asked God to help me forgive because I didn't feel I could, not after how many times it had happened.

I poured out my frustrations, and in the midst of my pain, I felt my own guilt.  I was worshiping an idol fashioned by my own hands.  I was so wrapped up in my feelings, and how I deserved to be treated, that I was totally neglecting God's command that I love and forgive.





It's true.  I've been an idolater, worshiping at the alter of Self-Esteem and Feelings.  I was allowing my perception of being wronged to dictate how I felt about myself and how I treated and forgave others. 

I would be hurt, and so I would withhold forgiveness or withdraw.  I would be kind to peoples faces, only to hide resentment in my heart.  And I would hold my husband prisoner to my emotions, keeping him at a distance or being short with him, because he or someone else had hurt me. 


I internalized the situations, making them about who I was rather than listening to God's word as the authority in my life.  I allowed my feelings dictate my self-esteem, rather than resting in who God says I am in him.


I just broke down, asking for forgiveness and help.  To forgive those that wrong me.  To rest in God's word and the knowledge that I am his.

It hasn't been perfect since that day that I sat on my bathroom floor, crying out to my Father. I still have the tendency to internalize offences and get my feelings hurt, and it's a struggle to forgive.  But God is refining me. 

I've made it a habit to read or recite a verse whenever the thoughts pop into my head.  And I've noticed an improvement.  I'm still sensitive, but I have noticed that I don't stay in my hurt feelings as long.  I've also started looking at issues in a new light, on how I can reach out and show love and grace to people more intentionally.
 

I'd like to encourage you to ask God to reveal any areas of your life in which you are placing too much importance.  It may be your emotions, your finances, your relationship or friendships, your image, or something else entirely. 

Then, after God has revealed this to you, dig into his word.  Let it renew your minds, to mold your thoughts and feelings, so that you can address the issue when it arises. 


In what areas has God been working to refine you in?  How has your life changed as a result of listening to his voice?  Let me know in the comments!

 

Our Curriculum Picks 2015-2016

It's that time of year again! 

For many of us, it's just about that time when we're finishing our curriculum purchases for the year, putting together our lesson plans, and making sure everything is in order for another school year.

While we school year round, we have started our new school year usually towards the end of July.  Since I had to have surgery , we started right after the 4th of July this year to accommodate for the time I needed off.  Yet another reason I LOVE homeschooling! 

I actually had most of our school stuff planned and bought by April this year.  Last year we used My Father's World:  Learning God's Story for first grade.  We really enjoyed the gentle approach, and next year we'll be using the curriculum again for Miss Bear. 

This year, I needed something that was a little more budget friendly as I also needed to replace our printer, so I ended up sort of piecing together our curriculum. 

Here's the skeleton of our curriculum.

BIBLE:

We'll be using The Jesus Storybook Bible and The Rhyme Bible again this year, as well as a NIV and KJV bible.  We also will be reading through Following Aslan: Devotions for Children by Keri McIntosh.  We're going to start the Chronicles of Narnia, so we thought this would be perfect to show how the two are related.

We'll continue with our scripture memorization, starting with Ephesians 6:10-18 over the course of the first several weeks.  After that, we'll memorize a verse that ties in to our character studies/habits building lessons.

LANGUAGE ARTS:
We'll be using First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind: Levels 1-2 by Jessie Wise this year.  I'm not exactly sure how far into the second we'll get yet, but so far we do anywhere between 1-3 lessons per day. 

I do love that the lessons are short and sweet.  There is a lot of repetition, but in a good way.

First Language Lessons Vol. 1  is actually meant for first graders, but My Father's World didn't have grammar included in their first grade plans last year, so we are starting there. 

READ-ALOUDS:

Many of our read alouds are living books that relate back to another subject we're covering.  We're also going to be reading through The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis this year as well. 

MATH:
We're going to go through the Life of Fred Elementary Series by Stanley F. Schmidt starting this year.  So far, we've been going through about a chapter a day, with games and worksheets to practice.

HISTORY:I purchased Story of the World Volume 2:  The Middle Ages by Susan Wise Bauer on my Kindle.  I am simply adding my own copywork, projects, reference books, and living books to go along with the Lessons.  

GEOGRAPHY:
We'll be using The Geography Book:  Activities for Exploring, Mapping, and Enjoying Your World by Caroline Arnold.  The lessons are short and simple, and we'll be adding in some worksheets and activities to put the skills to use.

I also purchased the Medieval maps set from Knowledge Quest, which we'll be using to map out our studies.

SCIENCE:
This year we'll be studying Astronomy.  We'll be using the Usborn Science Encyclopedia, Usborne What's Science All About? and the Usborne Geography Encyclopedia as our main texts.  I have quite a few other books and sources that I'll include throughout the lessons.   

 

Every couple weeks, we'll also be including either an animal research paper or a health topic.

THE ARTS:

Arts & Crafts-
Much of our art will tie in to our History and Science lessons this year.

The kids will also have drawing lessons with Dad and complete various holiday crafts.

Art Appreciation-
We will be using the Art Cards from MFW 1st Grade since we only made it through a few last year.  We'll also be discussing art throughout our history lessons.

Music-
So far, I've only planned on studying a few hymns.


PHYSICAL EDUCATION:

The kiddos are really into dancing right now, so we've been learning various dances on YouTube.  They'll also have plenty of outdoors time to run, skip, ride their bikes, and play at the park. 




Have you made any changes this year?  What's your favorite new resource you've discovered?

 

 

Our Homeschool Day

Last year, I wrote a post about what a typical day of school looks like in our home.  We're still doing things in much the same way, with a few changes.

We still follow more of a rhythm.  We usually get started with the Morning Basket around 8:30-9 a.m.  It gives everyone time to wake up, spend some time with Dad, eat breakfast, and get ready for their day. 

Morning Basket:

This year, our Morning Basket includes prayer and a bible story, recitation of our memory verse and poem we're working on, character studies, and hymn studies. It also includes our Language Arts and Math lessons.

Table Work: 

This doesn't really have a slot on our rhythm above, but the kids usually play for a few minutes while I lay out their Language Arts and Math worksheets.

Main Lesson:

After we've finished our table work, the kids usually have a snack before we tackle the main lesson.

We don't always read from the main text every day.  Some days we may read from Story of the World, others we might be delving into a science topic.  Our Geography lessons are also included during this time.

Physical Activity:

The kids will either play outside, practice dance choreography, use our "Get Moving" cards, or some other type of exercise.



Read Aloud:

We are reading through The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, as well as reading through  living books to help our history lessons come alive. 



 Enrichment:

Here, we'll be studying art or creating our own masterpieces.  We also will include cooking lessons some days.  This time also includes handicrafts.

Book Basket:

This is something suggested in the MFW curriculum last year, and it was so great that we're going to continue using it! 

The book basket contains books that relate to any of our current lessons.  There are also a few "Kids Choice" books in the basket, depending on the kids interests that week.

The Four-Part Apology (FREE printable)

Spiritual life, character formation, and habit training are some of the most important lessons we can teach our kids IMO.  And with all the chaos from my health issues lately, it seems that we've had to take a step back from some of our other lessons for a bit to focus more on character again.

One of the things we've started implementing is the Four-Part Apology.  It's really helped Squirrely Girl and Miss Bear to really think about their actions, empathize/sympathize, and remember why said action isn't ok. 

I'll go more in depth at some point, but I wanted to go ahead and offer the sheet we've hung around the house to others! 


You can get the FREE Four-Part Apology printable by clicking here. 

Under the Sea Birthday Party

This past weekend we threw our daughter an Under the Sea birthday party!  Miss Bear absolutely loves The Little Mermaid, and she's been asking for an "Ariel birthday", so we finally gave her one!

I think the decorations turned out great. 

The Little Mermaid "Happy Birthday"  Banner and tabletop decorations, as well as the inflatable sea creatures, came from Oriental Trading Company.  Everything else we purchased at Amazon, Walmart & Dollar Tree.

Hubby and I tag teamed the streamers for the ocean on the ceiling, so it really didn't take to long.  We used a two rolls of white, two rolls of dark blue, and two rolls of light blue for the entire party.  We also used 2 1/2 rolls of green streamers for the seaweed.  The sandy ocean bottom is just some packing paper I had leftover from a gift from Amazon, and we purchased the blue paper for the back ground from Amazon as well.

Hubby and I printed some picture out to decorate Bear's gifts.  We usually try to find quotes from the movie or book when doing a themed party.  Hubby did a pretty amazing job with writing the quote in Disney font!

Who says my dreams have to stay just my dreams?

To make the mermaids tale, I simple folded the plastic tablecloth and ran in down the center of the table.  I used some leftover ribbon to tie it off before cutting the remaining end into two tails, which I tied off with ribbon as well.




If I had it to do over again, I might have purchased a darker blue for the table and just used the lighter one for the mermaids tale.  It still ended up looking pretty adorable, though! 

 

This cute little dolphin came from Oriental Trading Co.  The kids loved playing Dolphin Ring Toss!











No Little Mermaid would be complete without Dinglehoppers!  We also included some snorkels for the people.

 

 

Here's the completed layout with all the foods!  We had a blast coming up with names for some of the options!  We also had a little help from Pinterest!

 

Aren't these the cutest?  Sebastian's "Crabby"  Chicken Salad Sandwiches were a huge hit!  The eyes were a nice touch, and with a little hot glue, some toothpics, and googley eyes, they came together in a snap!

 

Flounder's Fish and Chips was cute & easy to throw together!

We also made some "Octopus" dogs with Conch Shells 'n' Cheese.
The octopus dogs were a pain to cut, but the kids thought they were hilarious--so it was worth it in the end!

 

 

 

Fruits & Veggies from Where the People Are

 

 

 

 

 

Chef Louis even traveled from Prince Eric's castle to whip up a batch of his special chips and queso blanco.

 

 

 

Sea cucumbers and Shark Teeth added a nice touch!

 

 

 

Everyone LOVED the oyster cookies, and they were so simple to make!  Just a couple of packages of swirl shortbread cookies, a tub of hot pink frosting, and white Sixlet peals!  I've seen them done with macaroons as well-this was just easier for me!

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

 

This birthday party was soooo much fun!  I hope you enjoyed the pictures from how we threw this party together!

I'm also planning to go back and post how we put together Squirelly Girl's 7th birthday party!  It was Alice in Wonderland!

S.O.A.P through Scripture

Today, I'd like to share a FREE printable with you that I made to help during your Bible time.  I've been using the S.O.A.P. method of studying scripture for a couple of years, and finally decided to make myself a cute page to make journaling easier. 

You can download the sheets here. 

Hope you all find the journal pages helpful as well!

God is good.

It has been FOREVER since I've posted on the blog!  We've had a LOT going on in our lives, with some major health issues making writing difficult for me.  But I'm getting back in the saddle!  I want to try to post at least once a week, although I'm not sure if I'll start the weekly wrap-ups back up. 

During the past few months, I've been dealing with not only the concerning breast changes that started December 2013, but also the eradication of h. Pylori and subsequent digestive problems.  During the past few months I have been in so much pain, and unable to keep much of anything down.  I've been worried, scared, and just pretty unhappy in general.  I've felt bad for myself. 

But enough is enough!  Just because I'm dealing with health issues doesn't mean I should mope around, all woe is me.  Of course, I am wanting God to take these things from me, but I know that even in my trials, He will be glorified.  I don't know the reasons for the illness or pain, or the emotional things we've dealt with in relation to family and friends, but I do know that His plans for me are good, and that there is something good that will come from all of it in the end.
Over the past couple of weeks, I've been feeling better than I have for the past few months.  I believe this, in large part, due to our use of doTERRA essential oils to help support my body.  I became a Wellness Advocate with doTERRA back in October, and I've been using them to help support immunity, calm occasional stomach upset, and promote overall health and wellness with fantastic results. 

I'm so thankful to God that he created this natural compounds, and I'm looking forward to where this journey leads our family.

If you'd like to learn more about essential oils, send me a message or visit my other blog Essentially Every Good Thing. 

Despite my illness,  Squirrely Girl, Miss Bear, and Bubba have been doing amazingly well with homeschool.  Squirrely Girl is reading fluently, and Miss Bear is starting to spell CVC words and sound some harder words out with minimal help.  Bubba is talking more, is able to divide things by color and shape, and loves to take things apart (for science of course!). 

I'm so looking forward to sharing our homeschool journey with you all again!

Bear Blend aka Focus Blend

Sometimes we all need something to help balance our emotions and help us focus.  This blend works well for our little Miss Bear, but Mama has been known to use it as well!

We simply roll this along the spine, the base of the head, and on the wrists whenever we're having trouble with frazzled emotions or finding it hard to concentrate.  Works like a charm, and smells pretty awesome too!

If you'd like to purchase your own oils to mix up this blend, you can visit my store here.

If you're interested in becoming a Wellness Advocate with doTERRA, contact me and I'll help you get started!  I'd love to have you on my team.

Hubtastic Hair and Beard Oil

A few months ago, I finally took the plunge and ordered a Family Physician Kit from doTERRA, along with becoming a Wellness Advocate.  I actually only did it to take advantage of the wholesale prices for my family, but now that I've been using the oils, I can't help but share them. 

For Christmas, I wanted to make something special for my hubby.  He's been wanting something to encourage beard growth as well as combat the receding hairline and thinning he's been noticing.  After searching around a bit, I finally decided on a combo that I hope works for him.

Plus, this stuff smells AMAZING!

Clary Sage helps improve circulation, helps balance hormones, and can act as an aphrodisiac.

White Fir can also help to improve poor circulation, and it also works well as an antimicrobial and antioxidant....

Cedarwood is calming and soothing, and some contemporary research indicates it can help with alopecia.

Rosemary is helpful with greasy hair, hair loss, and inflammation. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Lime revitalizes and tightens skin and connective tissue, and has antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Lavender is very soothing and healing for skin. It also helps against dandruff, with dry and fragile hair, hair loss, inflammation, and itching. Oh, and it can help you spice things up a bit by acting as an aphrodisiac. 

Want to buy your own oils to make this awesome recipe?  Click here to visit my store. 

Interested in becoming a Wellness Advocate and taking charge of your family's health?  Contact me to find out how! 

II. The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

Mathew 5:3"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

In Chapter 2 of A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God, we find what lies at the heart of the issue in many of our lives:  putting anything else in the place where God ought to be.

Whenever sin entered the world, the right order of things became scrambled.  We became rebellious towards God and put idols on the thrones of our hearts. 

Whenever we have accepted Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin, but are now slaves to righteousness--to Christ himself (Romans 6:18). He has taken back him throne in our hearts.  Our lives--every moment and each and every action--belong to him now.

In The Pursuit of God, Tozer addressed the story of Abraham and Isaac.  I had always looked at this story to be more about obedience to God that anything else, but Tozer says that whenever Isaac was born in Abraham's old age that "his heart knit closer and closer with the life of his son, till at last the relationship bordered upon the perilous."

Of course, Abraham must have been terrified by God's request.  Offer my son, who I've waited for so long for, upon an alter as a sacrifice?  I'm sure his heart was anguished at the thought.

Obviously, God never intended for Abraham to actually slaughter his son, but he requested his obedience anyway.  Why is that? 

Tozer states "God could have begun out on the margin of Abraham's life and worked inward to the center; He chose rather to cut quickly to the heart and have it over with in one sharp act of separation.  In dealing thus, He practiced an economy of means and time.  It hurt cruelly, but it was effective."

God chose to removed Isaac from the throne of his father's heart swiftly, so that he could be put back in his rightful place in Abraham's heart.  Abraham had come to making everything about his son, and out of love God turned his world upside down with a single command.  This wasn't done to separate father and son, but in order to have Abraham face his priorities and rearrange them.

And we do the same as Abraham did today.  We worry so much about our reputations, our children, how we homeschool, our jobs, etc., that we don't even realize it when we've shooed God off the throne of our hearts and put all of these other things in his place.

So why do we cling to our idols?  Money, possessions, people in our lives, jobs, security, entertainment, etc.?

If Christ lives in us, then we shouldn't be ruled by the stuff in our lives.  Jesus referred to how much control things have in our lives when he spoke to his disciples in Mathew 16:24 "If any many will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it."


Within American Christianity today, there is this unsettling sense of entitlement.  It's taught in many churches as well as over television, that if we will become a Christian that we can prosper, have our best life now, and that all is apparently sunshine and rainbows. 

Most people refuse to speak about what God says concerning things out of fear of being labeled as homophobic, a hatemonger, or the like. 

To speak out on the issue of abortion, even other "Christians"  will criticize you, saying to "judge not" or ask you "where is your grace?" 

We need to wake up.  Christ did not redeem us so that we could have our best life now.  In fact, if we are truly submitting to Christ and following his charge to make disciples (Mathew 28:19), chances are that we will face adversity.  We may lose our stuff, the security of having extra money, our home, our friends and family, and our reputation to those still in the world.  Yet, we can count it all a blessing whenever we face persecution, because our reward is in heaven. 

One of the benefits of when God puts us through the refining fire, and we lose everything, is that we depend fully upon him.  Suffering strips away all of the superficial, and reveals the truth.  His grace is sufficient for us, and in the end God's thoughts and laws is all that matters.

Romans 5:3-5
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured our his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."


We all must count the cost of following Christ.  We will lose some peoples esteem, relationships with friends and family, and may suffer financially if we are adhering to the Gospel.  But in the end, the only one that matters is God.  If we have done as he has charged us, though many people may hate us and say all types of slanderous things about us, it is all worth it.

We all place too high an importance on things from time to time.  Pray that God rips them from the thrones of our hearts so that we can turn, repent, and follow him once more. 

Bubba's 2nd Birthday

This past Saturday, our son turned 2! 

We had a small party for him at our house, with family and a few friends.  He had a great time. 

He started off the day with a clown cream horn for breakfast.


He was too excited to see his birthday cake.

 

After changing his mind numerous times, he finally decided on the SpongeBob décor. 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, it was a great day celebrating our son!  

 

Week 5 of MFW Learning God's Story

Another great week using MFW Learning God's Story!  We did a few art projects, made some yummy chipotle ranch, and read about several types of trees.  Warning:  This post contains affiliate links.  That means if you use the link to buy something, we will be paid.  This money goes to support my family.

Memory Verse:

Proverbs 21:23-

"He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity."

This verse was a great one for our whole family to focus on this week.  We've had a lot happen recently, and it was a good reminder to watch what we say.  Squirrely Girl and Miss Bear have continued to do well with the memorization, and are relating day to day life back to our memory verses and bible stories.  It makes my heart happy whenever I hear them pray for God's help in these areas!

We've also started doing a little something with our memory verses this week.  I love the CM Scripture memory system, and we made our own simple version.  You can read about it here. 






Language Arts:

Squirrely Girl reading her previous phonics lessons.

Squirrely Girl has continued with the MFW phonics.  I thought it was odd that they included -ing, -ang, and -ung together, because I thought it would be confusing.  She didn't seem to have any problems, though!    Her handwriting has already improved dramatically the past 5 weeks.   


Miss Bear is working on her ABC handwriting sheets as well as number words sheets.  I used a highlighter to make her a copywork sheet for this weeks memory verse, and I've already seen improvement in her handwriting as well.

Math:

This is week 2 of working numbers and counting.  This was needed more for Miss Bear, but Squirrely Girl had a good review with larger numbers.  She also used some leaves, rocks, and seeds we found on our nature walk to work on addition, which was great practice. 

Science:

 After reading the recommended reading for trees, we did several art projects, a failed science experiment, and read in our Fun with Nature about several species of trees.



We've also continued to examine our beans that are sprouting. (We didn't soak them until Monday!  We had a lot going on last week!)  I'm not adding that stuff until we finish it, but Bubba has loved looking at the beans.  Kids were all amazed to see the tiny plant starting to grow! 

 

Art:
One of our art activities was these tree ring paintings.  I put several shades of paint onto a plate, and the girls used their foam sponge brushes to get some paint.  They then pressed the sponge onto their paper and twirled it around, giving the great tree ring effect.  We all had a lot of fun with these!

We also made these My Years in Tree Rings pages. 

 We had talked about how trees grow a ring each year.  We then made these pictures with a ring for each year they'd been alive, and things they thought were important for each year.


Lastly, the kids made these tree crafts.  All three of them love when I tape contact paper onto the sliding glass doors.  This is something that even Bubba can mostly do himself.

Handicrafts:

Squirrely Girl started working on her first needlepoint project this week.  You can find these projects at most craft stores, and I'm sure Amazon has them as well.

 

How was your week?  How do you like to incorporate art into the weeks lessons?