Walking Therein

Posted By Jacque on May 24, 2009

Where in the world has the month of May gone so far? I feel like I have been in a work-daze for the past three weeks! But, doesn’t it feel great to accomplish things? Besides all the real learning, like getting along with siblings, not being completely selfish, tilling and planting a garden, keeping a home, cooking, caring for and enjoying younger children, how to safely and correctly remove a tick – you know, the important things in life – we have been working our heads off. Living Learning Moments.

Bible and Hebraic Scriptures

I am starting with Bible first, because the Word of God is the most important thing we can teach our children. God’s commandments and Words are life to us. It really is that simple. If the Creator of the universe made a binding covenant with his people that he will be their God and they will be his people, and gave his commands to them, then sent his son, the Messiah, to live out those commandments as an example to them, who then gave himself to die on a stake for their salvation, what better place to teach about life and our purpose and how to live than with the Word of God? It is a plan for our good and the everlasting salvation of all who believe, and His Words are life.

We have been Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ for over twenty years. We have always searched the Scriptures and talked about God and his instruction daily, including it in our learning. BUT… for the past few months, we have so enjoyed learning the Bible new and afresh. There is so much more to our faith than we have ever been taught. The phrases and situations and responses in the Bible have such deep meanings we don’t know of due to our culture differences. The overlooked feasts and holidays and definitions of mere English words are not enough to fully give life and meaning to what God has prepared for us and how he has revealed himself through his Word and His People. I am thankful beyond words that God has allowed us to see these things revealed to us and given us the desire to study them.

For daily Bible time, the readers each have a personal Bible time to themselves. Except to read the Torah scriptures together on Saturdays/or Sunday as time allows, we do not have a particular Bible study time. We study it as it comes up. Life is the lesson. What we do and how we live requires the Word put into action, and there is always a time to bring the Word into life. Sometimes one of us will read something and share it, and we all will talk about it and discuss it and search deeper. God reveals himself to us all day, in our lives, through his Word and as we work and play together.

*I am now recommending the Complete Jewish Bible as our choice for the written WORD.

Math, Science, Life Skills and Preparation

Speaking of work, we have been so busy here, it is unbelievable. Home School. Home Learning.

In the beginning of the month, we put up over 800 feet of Tposts and fencing for our goats. That’s a lot of measuring, counting, figuring and accuracy to be kept and learned. A couple of weeks ago, Eric and I tore down a wooden fence and put up some wire fencing in it so that the chickens will also be kept inside the enclosure. I will be glad for no more chicken poo and dusting holes. All. Over. The yard! No matter; they have plenty of space to range now.

In this time we discovered that we are going to have a bad summer for ticks. Ugh! We did a bit of research on ticks for a couple of days too.

Our addition is still going…. going…. Do you know about our addition? We started it in July 2002. Yep, count it, 7 years. That’s ok, 7 is God’s number. But, we are finally down to the nitty-gritty and so close, I am getting impatient! I just can’t wait to get it done and get into it! I imagine that Matt will feel like a huge burden has been lifted when we get that final nail or that final piece of furniture in. He and Eric and the girls have been putting in bathroom vents, re-wiring electrical, re-doing drywall, hanging siding on the out building that Mom is living in. The girls and Eric have been putting on coats of primer and painting the ceilings in the past couple of weeks. We just found out a couple of weeks ago that we have 5 more things to do for the final inspection to pass, and if we had picked a better contractor to start with, we would only have 3 things… no, don’t ask. At least we have an actual deadline to get it done and all our furniture moved in. That is coming up soon, because we are having friends over, so I am hoping this all gets worked out fast!

On the other hand, choosing paint colours was about to drive me bonkers! I can pick out colours. I’m just afraid we are going to colour 10 gallons of paint different colours, and then I am going to regret the colour choices! Really, I guess that won’t bother me so much because all the furniture will be moved! And I will have an actual bedroom!! That in itself is worth it. It will be so very nice to get everything and everybody situated. I am just so proud of my husband and my family for all the work they have done. We literally have been going, going, going on getting everything done around here.

Nature Study and Science

We also got 3 new bunnies last month, and six ducklings and five Silver-Laced Wyandotte chicks a couple of weeks ago. We also found that a Momma hen had hatched 14 chicks on her own a few weeks back when Eric stumbled upon them looking for kittens! The hatched chicks and the ducklings are a big hit. The Wyandotte chicks I got for me, because I could’t get that kind when we first got chicks a couple of years ago.The rabbits all had girl names until we realized the the helpful people at TSC don’t know how to s*x rabbits. Now they all have boy names…

We just put the ducks and chicks outside for the first time last week. Matt gets good deals from Lowe’s, and was able to get us another 10×10 dog pen last year that I attached chicken wire to the bottom of. While I did the wire-attaching, Matt et al. had chin-up contests on the bar above the door. I am so glad that the weather has been inthe 80′ for the past few days. I hope to get the cage covered and leave them out there all night! They do love it outside in the sunshine though.

Writing, Research, History, Home Ec and Management

In addition to all of that, I finally found time to squeeze out the article list to the Growing in Grace Magazine authors and contributors. We will start to wrap up and ready for June 09 *gulp* this week?

I am also trying to maintain the Training Children blogs. It is hard, though! Training Sons To Be Men is moving so very slowly. Eric just doesn’t have as much time on the computers as I would like him to so that he can research and write with and for me. Training Daughters, Teaching Wives has plenty of writings on it, and Rachel is helping me add to it.

Amanda, Jocelyn, Rachel and Hannah write and research for GGM, so those articles are theirs and on their blogs or TDTW too. Amanda is blogging and designing blogs at TDP Designs. Jocelyn is still designing blogs at A Ponderingheart Boutique and managing Feelin’ Feminine. They can both design Wordpress, Blogger and Homeschoolblogger.com themes.

The usual delicious meals continue at our home and we are beginning to love preparing the house for Shabbat each week! I dare ya’ to show me some better cooks than my girls. Our Littles are always included in the cooking and baking too. Don’t want them to miss out on a love of learning and life.

Gleaning the Harvest

God gave us Gleaning the Harvest as a blessing for his people and a mission for widows and fatherless home school families. It is not a business, but some aspects of it have to be run as one. It is a learning experience and a blessing. We have seen God touch his people and move them and expect him to do a lot more in it as we have more moments to put into it. God commands his people to care for the widows, the fatherless and strangers. May he bless that families on it, those waiting to be a part of it, and the givers who remember this command.

HOME School, Living Learning Moments

This is our life. We HOME school. It is what we do. Yes, our children get out a few workbooks and put it down on paper, but for the most part, application is what works best. I tried the textbook, sit in the desk for hours method for the first seven years of home school. Home schooling life has brought us together as a family and brought out a love of learning and willingness in our children.

There is so much to learn. I love our lives and what God has given us. I know he has given us all this for his purpose, and it is really exciting living it and expecting his plan to come from it.

May the LORD bless you and keep you and give you his peace.

Shalom~

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