4 hours ago
I had all kinds of ideas for December blog posts, but the last couple of weeks have been a flurry of craziness around here, mostly in a good way. I've barely had time to sit down, but everything we've been busy with has been fun memory-making!
Everything We've Been Up To
We kicked off December with a trip to a local "trial of lights" for my dad's birthday. My parents take the whole family every year and it's a highlight of December for all of us. There is one huge tree that they somehow manage to light up from the trunk to the top of it's branches, about 100 feet up, and we always stand under it and just stare. The kids aren't nearly as impressed with it as the adults - we know the amount of work that went into that!
My kids also participated in a unique field trip where they got to run a miniature town for a day, as well as manage their own bank accounts, checkbooks, and debit cards. Wyatt was the accountant for Town Hall, Gwendolyn was a mail carrier, and Clyde was an auto mechanic. They each were so happy with the positions they got, and they all took their jobs so seriously. Our cousins and various friends were able to go the same day we did, so that was fun for everyone too! I'm also proud to say that none of my kids overdrew their bank accounts. They are on their way to being financially responsible adults.
Another big event of the last couple weeks was a 10th birthday party for Gwendolyn. Her birthday is at the end of December, but we wanted to do a party for her while our good friends were in town from Kentucky. We invited close family and a few of her friends from church for an art themed party - it turned out really fun! I'm sure I'll get a post up about it at some point.
While our dear friends were in town we also took the opportunity to spend as much time with them as we could, and we had an outing to the railroad museum and a couple fun visits at our house. Of course the hardest part was having to say goodbye when they left the last night they were here. There are always tears when they leave, but it's one of those friendships that is strong enough to survive a little distance, and we are already looking forward to zoom visits and making plans for the next time we can see them.
Our family also fit in a visit to our local aquarium...we are not close to the ocean, so any aquarium here is going to be expensive and a rare treat. The kids got free tickets for completing the library reading challenge this summer, and Derek took a day off so we could go as a family. The kids loved it, and Georgie especially wanted to see the sharks! We topped off the day with a trip to the mall for some final Christmas shopping, and a Christmas movie night at home.
Speaking of the mall, we had to swing by there again on Sunday because I realized I needed to even out one of the kids' Christmas presents a bit. It is very difficult to shop for Christmas for five kids of all different ages - they want such different things, but I have to still keep the cost and number of the presents as similar as possible. It requires alot of planning and I often end up having to make adjustments once I get all the presents laid out on the floor.
So to the mall we went again, and I have to say, it warmed my heart to see how very busy the mall was. For the past couple years it's been quiet every time I've been to the mall, but perhaps the retail business is finally picking up again after 2020 (or maybe people are trying to avoid the finicky postal system). I'm happy to see it.
Amid all this we also had several other Christmas and birthday parties to attend, and we somehow fit some school in there. I'm tired just thinking about it now.
But it's finally the week before Christmas, we are on break from homeschooling, and it's time to get those presents wrapped and cookies baked! That's the agenda for today, and before I go to it, I'll just include one more thought that I've been mulling over this week.
A Thought On Christmas Busyness
As I've been going about our business this month, I've been listening to some Christmas sermons on the Canon+ app. I subscribed a while back for a webinar I wanted to watch, but it's been pretty worthwhile overall. I don't agree with everything they teach (I'm not a post millennialist), but I've found alot of the practical resources to be incredibly encouraging.
I was listening to a sermon called "A Theology Of Christmas Gifts" (or it might have been "Celebrating Christmas Like A Puritan", I can't remember), and Douglas Wilson made a point that it is actually NOT an unbiblical idea to work hard - even until you are rather exhausted - in order to bless others.
I think we are often, as wives and mothers, tempted to get a little bitter about the December rush and the Christmas stress. We think in order to do Christmas "right", we should not be so busy. I've certainly fallen victim to "Christmas stress" before, and often that stress is the result of procrastination or poor planning on my part. I don't think that's a good thing, and the solution to that is to plan better so I don't have a million things to do all at once December.
However, as I've been mulling it over, I agree that the problem is not the amount of work that Christmas entails. Work is not a bad thing. We don't have to be sitting around contemplating all the time in order to be blessed during the season of Christmas preparation. We are working hard to make Christmas special for our loved ones, to bless others and love them in a tangible way, and isn't that service toward others a kind of offering to the Lord? We ARE honoring Christmas in all the busyness of our Christmas work if we keep in mind that we are doing it for Him, that we are serving Christ by serving others well.
We don't always have to be still with perfect peace to celebrate and enjoy Christmas. We can keep Christmas well. by tackling our to-do list to bless others during all the hustle and bustle of celebrating the birth of our King! In it's own way, that is just as beautiful as sitting in silence and contemplating His birth, maybe even more beautiful if in the busyness we are giving of ourselves for the good of others, reflecting in an imperfect way how Christ gave Himself for us, and pointing others to the purpose of all this which is Christ Himself.
May you point your loved ones to Jesus through the cookie decorating, present wrapping, house cleaning, turkey baking, visiting, opening, singing, and celebrating this week!
Happy Christmas break, friends!
I'm sure I'll be back again this week.
I finally have some space for all of the above,
and a little blogging too.
This year our first real snow - with three inches and snow left in patches on the ground after several days - happened in October. We've had several more snows so far, and spots of snow that don’t melt in the shade for over a month now.
That might be shocking if you live in warmer parts of the country, but October is actually pretty late for a first snow where I live. We have gotten a "first snow" in September before! Our snow season usually lasts somewhere from October to May, and things don't start to green up in the mountains until at least May.
After living here my whole life, you could say I'm used to long winters, and I have come to enjoy them. In recent years I have heard alot of people bemoaning the long winter season in my state, and I find it a little surprising especially when it comes from people who have grown up here as I have. It's good to adapt to where you live, to look at the weather and climate where you are right now and find the good things about it, instead of pining for one favorite season or other destinations. Learning to become content with the climate where you currently live is important for your general happiness, and necessary to keep a sense of gratitude in your heart. God made these seasons - there are special things about all of them, if we take a minute to look for them.
All that said, I thought I'd give a few of my tips for learning how to love the winter season.
1. Dress for the weather.
As someone somewhere once said, there is no bad weather, just bad clothes. Cold weather is going to seem worse than it is if you aren't dressed properly for it. That might mean investing in some good snow or sub-zero clothes for when you have to spend time outside, but it also might mean a trip to the department store for some interesting sweaters that make you excited to wear them. In my book, fall/winter clothes are some of the most fun when it comes to fashion! There is only so much you can do with shorts and shirts in the summer, but there are endless layering combinations and textures to explore in the fall and winter, not to mention all the gorgeous coat options, which you would never get to explore unless you lived somewhere cold.
"When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet."
Proverbs 31:21
2. Practice looking for the beauty that a true winter brings.
There are many parts of the country and world where they never have snow, and some people wish they would get a little snow, especially around Christmas time! Take a winter walk and look at the beautiful way the frost decorates the bare branches, or the way the ice looks on a river as it grows thicker. The colors of winter are so muted and calming when you look at them through the lens of a photographic or artistic eye - try to look at a landscape and identify all the different shades you can (deep blue, dove grey, ice blue, muted brown, lilac, blush pink).
3. Take up a winter hobby.
There are all kinds of cold-weather activities that likewise are not available in the same way in warmer climates - sledding, skiing, ice-skating, snow-shoeing, snowmobiling, sleighing, snow forts and fights and snowmen. Why not appreciate the snow (instead of complaining about it), and branch out by trying one of these wintery activities?
“'For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.'"
Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV
4. Lean into winter food.
You can't convince me that a hot beef stew tastes as good anywhere else but in the deep of a cold winter season. There are so many wonderful soups and stews, breads and pies, that taste especially wonderful because they are contrasted with the sharp cold and howling winds of winter. Lean into it and add some cozy winter recipes to the rotation.
5. Make your house cozier.
Winter is so much more charming if you have a cozy home to enjoy it in. I wrote a whole post analyzing coziness here, but I think there are a few elements that will bring up the coziness of any space - warm lighting scattered through the room (lamps, candles, fireplace, etc), more textured pillows and blankets (that faux fur throw you spotted at the store? Buy it), and something that smells spicy or warm (scented candles, essential oils, hot cider mulling, bread in the oven).
“He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.”
Psalms 147:15-18 NKJV
6. Consider the textile arts.
With all those hours where you might rather be inside, winter seems the perfect time to learn how to make something tangible. Why not pick up a new skill, like knitting, crocheting, embroidery, or sewing? You can make some of those blankets or pillows with interesting textures yourself to add that coziness I just mentioned to your home. And is there a cozier picture for wintertime than sitting in a cozy room, wearing a cute sweater and socks, with something good-smelling coming from the kitchen, while knitting or embroidering a project, with your family gathered around? I think not.
7. Build relationships with friends and family.
Yes, you can and should build up your family and friendships all year long! But winter seems an especially nice time to practice hospitality, to those outside your home and within your home. Why not change up your habits a bit over the winter and make a weekly game night, or add in a new read-aloud routine with your kids all snuggled under blankets, or start singing some Christmas songs or hymns together on a regular basis? Why not invite over someone new to share your cozy home and wintery food together during those months that feel drab to some? Winter is a great time to be together.
"From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind,
And cold from the scattering winds of the north.
10 By the breath of God ice is given,
And the broad waters are frozen.
11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds;
He scatters His bright clouds.
12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance,
That they may do whatever He commands them
On the face of the whole earth.
13 He causes it to come,
Whether for correction,
Or for His land,
Or for mercy."Job 37:9-13
What is your favorite part of the winter season? Do you have any tips for learning to enjoy the winter?
Drinking...hot chocolate, in my freshly decorated house, twinkly lights sparkling.
Excited about...telling you all about the big event of the week...we got a puppy! I thought we would wait a while after Harvey before getting another dog, but as I mentioned, I found it particularly sad to come home to a quiet house. I just like having something living at home waiting for us. I was ready for another dog quicker than I thought, but I still thought it would be a while because I wanted to get a dachshund, and whenever we looked at breeders, the prices were $2500 or more. I'm sorry, but that's a little absurd to pay that much for a dog. I'm still a bit flabbergasted that they can actually charge that much.
My mom suggested we look on Craig's List, and despite my general suspicion of Craig's List, we checked it out. We found a dachshund puppy that was ready to be adopted within a week, and for MUCH less than $2500 dollars, I'll tell you that!
We decided to name her Cindy Lou Who, Lulu for short, and she is completely adorable. We got her right around the 9 week mark. It's brought alot of freshness and fun to the house to have her trotting around, climbing on our laps, and yes, chewing on things throughout the day. She's our little Christmas puppy, and we are enjoying our new furry family member.
So, fair warning, all the pictures in this post are pretty much going to be of Lulu.
Relieved to...be done with Christmas decorating. We got everything set up in stages last weekend, and now we can sit back and enjoy it! I don't know why, but Christmas decorating was stressing me out this year. There is just so much to set out, and so much to have to put away again later. But now that it's done, I'm loving the lights and I'm in a festive mood. Thanksgiving should have it's time, but we've always decorated the weekend before Thanksgiving, and Thanksgiving advocate though I am, I prefer decorating for Christmas before Thanksgiving. That way we can move right into the Christmas season without too much stress!
Working on...figuring out what Thanksgiving pie I want to bring to my mom's house. I think I might try a lemon meringue.
The notorious lemon meringue. I've written alot about it before, so I won't get into it again.
Speaking of pies, I watched this video of Irish people trying Thanksgiving pies for the very first time, and it just made me feel happy! (Warning, there is some bad language in this video.) Plus, the cherry pie they used was weird, no wonder they didn't like it. And they did NOT try a lemon meringue, which I feel is very much a Thanksgiving pie. There was some debate in the comments about whether a cherry pie actually is a Thanksgiving pie, and now I'm wondering if people eat lemon meringue on Thanksgiving, or if that's just a thing in my family. Do you eat cherry or lemon meringue on Thanksgiving? Or just pumpkin and pecan all the way?
Planning to...wrap Christmas presents within the next week or so. Wrapping presents is one of those tasks that Derek and I often leave until it's Christmas Eve, when we suddenly remember that there is still a present stash under our bed. It's just not satisfying to wrap presents when you know all that hard work is going to be undone within 24 hours. I've decided that early is actually way better than late in this instance, and I'm going to get them done sooner this year.
Watching...the PBS version of Little Women that came out a couple years ago - Little Women seems like such a Thanksgiving movie to me, in every version. This version is pretty good so far - I like the guy they got to play John much better than the one in the 1994 movie.
Buying...I'm actually trying to abstain from most of the Black Friday shopping this year - I already bought Christmas presents, and I need to try not to blow the budget. We are strongly considering buying this theology curriculum to do with the kids though, because it's supposed to be 25% off on Monday. And I did succumb and buy more of my favorite foundation. I was going to need to buy some more in a month or two anyway, and this kind lasts me for 4-5 months easily, so it's a pretty good deal even when it's not 30% off. I feel like it looks very natural and skin-like, and it covers really well, but don't get the matte product! It's not nearly as good, and I learned that the hard way. What sales are you eyeing for the coming week?
Listening to...this playlist of rather obscure Christmas hymns that I put together using the list from this book from G3 ministries as a reference. Some of these I had never heard before, and some I only have a vague memory of. The kids and I became attached to "Good Christian Men, Rejoice", and we've been humming and singing it all over the house. It's fun to add good, Christ-centered songs to our Christmas repertoire! Note: There are multiple versions of some hymns on the playlist because I'm still trying to decide which one I like best.
Thankful for...so many things, as I'm sure I say every year.
I'm thankful for Jesus, for His death to pay for my sin and His resurrection to blot them away forevermore.
I'm thankful for my family always, I'm thankful to live in America. I'm thankful for our new little dog. I'm thankful for the crisp cold weather, and I'm thankful for a cozy home to snuggle into as winter sets in.
I think I'm particularly thankful for home this year, and everything that entails - good food, warm blankets, children laughing from the other room and running through the house, a dog to sit at my feet, stacks of books, songs sung all throughout the day, hot drinks, the clicking of laptop keys as Derek works in the loft, kids sounding out words and math books spread all over the tables, craft projects and masterpieces and messes to pick up, five heads of hair to cut and fix, cold cheeks to kiss, and snowy boots on the floor.
I don't always love every bit of that, I don't feel as thankful as I should, but when it comes down to it, I am grateful for all of it. Even the messes that I get to pick up, because the Lord gives me that chance to do even a small task for Him. All of it is a gift from God, tiny little blessings and evidences of His grace to sinners, reminders that He loves us and gave us the ultimate gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, and a perfect Home to come with Him.
There is always more to be thankful for than you think there is, and thanksgiving is a beautiful form of praise. Maybe even more beautiful when you find yourself in a season when it's hard to offer. So I hope you all are overwhelmed with the abundance of blessings He gives you every day, but even if the blessings are harder to see for whatever reason, know that thanking God for what you have is just as beautiful a sacrifice of praise when it's bittersweet.
But I am afflicted and in pain; let your salvation, O God, set me on high! I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Psalm 69:29-30
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 34:1-3
Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
One of the things I decided to add to our homeschool this year is a study of one of Shakespeare's plays. I was a little trepidatious to start with the kids, but over the last few weeks we have really gotten into it, and I wanted to share what we've been doing!
First, why study Shakespeare? There are a few reasons to consider studying Shakespeare in your homeschool, and these are some of mine.
Why Study Shakespeare With Elementary Kids
Rich Language. The language of Shakespeare is challenging and rich. It’s so good for kids to hear and see that kind of complicated language and feel comfortable with it. This will help them later with reading comprehension, writing skills, vocabulary, etc.
Familiarity With Idioms, Etc. Shakespeare added so much to our vernacular in the form of idioms, cliches, figures of speech, etc. Knowing the background enriches our understanding of English, and will allow them to use these sayings with confidence in their future writing as well! A good Shakespeare quote can't help but elevate an essay, right?
Character Elements. There are interesting character, moral, and "social norm" elements that are presented by the characters in Shakespeare’s plays. For instance, in A Midsummer Night's Dream, we are learning a bit about the foolishness of braggerts from the character of Bottom.
Historical Tie-Ins. There are alot of interesting historical tie-ins in Shakespeare plays that give you a richer understanding of Shakespeare/The Middle Age - from both directions.
Knowing Shakespeare Literary References. There are a ton of references to Shakespeare and his plays in literature, and even just in pop culture, and being acquainted with Shakespeare will allow them to be "in the know" when they encounter those references elsewhere.
Avoid Intimidation. If kids familiarize themselves with Shakespeare's plays when they are young, they won't be intimidated to dive in if or when they study the Bard in high school or college courses.
What We're Doing
In the past we have memorized Shakespeare passage from the book How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig, and I still think that book introduces a really great rhythm method for memorizing some lines of Shakespeare! One benefit is that it is really easy and fun to do even with younger kids.
However, I wanted to get into the plays a little more, and I was getting hung up by our memorization work - should we finish memorizing the passages, and then get into the play? Or should we do both at the same time?
I decided to just dive right in with these resources:
Simply Charlotte Mason: Shakespeare In Three Steps
This is a series of guides to various Shakespeare plays, and I love the method used in the guides. We are currently working through the guide for A Midsummer Night's Dream, which is a great play to start with for elementary kids, I think.
First we read a short version of the story to get an idea of what is going to happen, which is included in the guide.
Then we listen to a dramatization of the play with a transcript in hand. This guide gives summaries of each scene, so the kids know ahead of time what is going to happen when we listen to the actual play. We are in this stage now, and I have to say, it's been a delight! I gave them highlighters and told them to keep an eye out for certain key lines from each passage, as mentioned in the guide - but I also told them to highlight whatever lines stand out to them or lines that they particularly like. It's so fun to see what lines my kids choose to highlight! It's also been gratifying to watch Shakespeare's humor click with them, which is a huge benefit of listening to gifted actors perform the actual play, as opposed to just reading a short story version. My oldest even declared he thought his cousin should listen to A Midsummer Night's Dream because it's so funny!
The final step is to watch the play, which we will do when we finish listening to/reading it. I love that this guide also includes summaries of the different movie versions out there, so you can pick one with no objectionable content for your child's age group.
Arkangel Shakespeare Productions
I followed the guide's suggestion, and purchased the Archangel audio production of A Midsummer's Night Dream, and I can vouch that it is excellent! These audio versions are also on Audible, which is convenient.
How To Teach Your Children Shakespeare
As we have been reading about and then listening to A Midsummer Night's Dream, it's been fun to see the lines my kids remember from our memory work using Ludwig's book, and I think after we finish the play we will continue to memorize some of the lines using his method!
I did want to note that I think Simply Charlotte Mason's method is really easy to do, but I do think kids will get more out of it in 4th grade and up, when their reading skills are really strong. I you are anxious to jump in with younger kids, I think Ken Ludwig's book and some good picture books are a better place to start.
Shakespeare Picture Books and Stories
As I said, I think there is a huge benefit of listening to Shakespeare's actual words, instead of just reading a storybook version of his plays. The humor that is in his actual writing just doesn't translate to a storybook the same way, in my experience. However, we have used storybooks to familiarize ourselves with the play before we listened to it, and these are the ones we've used so far. Please note, I haven't read through all the play stories in these books, just a couple, so screen your chosen story before reading it to your kids!
A Stage Full Of Shakespeare Stories - Really cute, whimsical illustrations in this one.
Shakespeare Retold by E. Nesbit - These are good, quick retellings of seven Shakespeare plays, with more suggested resources in the back!
Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield - I really like this book for myself - it gives a really thorough telling of each play, with some of Shakespeare's actual words incorporated. As far as I can tell, these version tries to keep to Shakespeare's general scene order as well, which is nice. I'm going to use this version for myself to screen which plays I want to cover with my kids, since it seems pretty thorough.
Other Books
DK Eyewitness: Shakespeare - This book is full of info about Shakespeare's times, as well as information related to different aspects of theater, with lots of pictures to make it interesting.
Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed The Way You Talk by Jane Sutcliffe - This is a fun picture book about some of the phrases that Shakespeare introduced or popularized in the English language.
Before I close this post, I just wanted to say that if the idea of covering Shakespeare with your kids seems overwhelming - then don't do it! It's totally okay NOT to study Shakespeare. It doesn't have to be taught in elementary school, or even at all if you and your kids are not interested. Shakespeare is very much an extra. I think it's helpful to be somewhat familiar with Shakespeare, but you are the homeschool teacher of your own family, and you get to decide when or if you will study Shakespeare with your kids! But if you do decide to dabble into some Shakespeare together, I wanted to encourage you that it can be really fun if you want it to be, and not as hard as you think!
If you have any other good resources to add, I'd love to hear! Leave a comment below.
This month when I went grocery shopping, I found a fuzzy brown jacket at Sam's Club. It was on sale for $10, and despite making a concerted effort to NOT buy new clothes for myself this fall, I did allow myself to buy this fuzzy jacket, and I have no regrets. It's so cozy for these cool fall days, and I'm wearing it right now as I sit down with a cup of coffee to type this post.
Health Checkups, Etc.
The last couple weeks have been good, but a little up and down around here.
Earlier this year I figured it was time for me to get a checkup, after not going to the general doctor since before the kids (it's been about 15 years ago now). Long story short, it was a complete waste of time. The physician's assistant just took my blood pressure, and distractedly tapped my knees with her hammer (my reflexes didn't even trigger, but she didn't notice). She made a pretense of putting the stethoscope to my back, but chattered about her plants while she was supposed to be listening to my lungs, and then declared I seemed healthy so we didn't have to do any bloodwork. Okay? I guess? The whole visit literally lasted less than five minutes. I'm not even sure she looked at my paperwork. I was really tempted to refuse to pay because everything she did I could have done more thoroughly myself at home without a medical degree, but I was not in a proper emotional state for a fight with the doctor's office at that time, so I let it go.
Thankfully I got basic tests done at a different doctor's office for an unrelated issue, and they caught something they thought should be checked out. So I went back and saw a real family doctor (I'm starting to get soured on physician assistants after several negative experiences now), and the real doctor ordered the full battery of bloodwork...all that to say that we discovered I'm pretty anemic. I didn't even think I felt tired, but Derek says I probably have been tired so long at this point that I don't notice it anymore. Of course, after we found out about the anemia, I had several very lethargic days and could barely bring myself to stay awake while reading Narnia to the kids. In the past I probably would have brushed it off as needing more sleep, but now it makes more sense. I've been taking iron supplements and eating a bunch of red meat - can't say I've noticed a big difference, but I'll get another test done soon to see how things are looking.
Missing A Dog
Aside from health stuff, I've found myself already very much missing having a dog around. Harvey died in October, and I'm still feeling emotional about it - but even beyond just missing Harvey, it feels too quiet without a dog in the house. There is no little creature waiting at the door with a wagging tail, glad to see us when we arrive home. On the rare occasion when Derek takes the kids to go do something and I'm home alone, the house is too still. I'm used to having the dog sitting near my feet when I'm by myself. There is no creature to drink the little bit of milk left in my bowl when I'm done with my cereal, or lick up the crumbs that the kids drop on the floor. There is just that bit of life that a dog adds to the house, and it's not there same without it. I didn't think I'd be ready for another dog right away, and I guess emotionally I'm still not sure, but I told Derek we should get another dog sooner than later. We'll see how it works out.
Christmas Newsletters And Holiday Prep
Derek is hunting this week again, and while he's been hunting I've been getting ready for the holidays. The other Saturday I ordered all our Christmas presents (I just have a few more things to get for Derek and my dad). Most of the packages arrived last week, and my goal after writing this post is to unpack the boxes and make sure everything actually shipped (because I don't trust Amazon not to mess things up these days). I also bought the kids some Christmas jammies - I got the girls this red and blue set, and the boys this blue and green set. They'll make for some cute Christmas morning pictures.
I need to start thinking about getting our family Christmas newsletter written. Writing Christmas newsletters can be tricky - you have to be really cautious in what you share, and how, so as not to let it turn into a brag letter. You know what I'm talking about. We've all received the wrong kind of newsletter, all about the elaborate trips that were had, the incredible (unbelievable) talents of the children, and the professional advancements and personal achievements of the parents. It's a very fine line between updating everyone on the good things that happened and the blessings in your life and overdoing it. Christmas newsletters have become a punchline for this very reason, but I still like the idea of sending out a newsletter, and I like to read them. They are more personal than the typical generic Christmas card with a printed message and a hastily scrawled signature.
I think I struck the right balance last year, because various extended family and friends commented about enjoying our newsletter (though maybe they would say that even if it wasn't the right balance). But I really put thought and effort into attempting to NOT be braggy at all, and this year's newsletter will require the same care. Maybe that's why I'm putting off writing it. It will require alot of brain power.
We got our Thanksgiving plans ironed out last week, and so far the only thing I have been definitively assigned is the relish plate. Relish plates require no real skill to put together, but they are expensive, so I'm trading money for time. Ours usually includes black olives, pimento olives, garlic-stuffed olives, baby dill pickles, sweet gherkins, bread and butter pickle slices, and cherry peppers, with maybe some celery or carrots and dip. This is basically the pre-meal snack plate, and vegetables are the way to go so we don't fill up too much before the meal. It's been actually quite fun to see which of my kids are fans of olives, and which are not, and to hear the debating about it. Olives are such a divisive food. Personally, I used to hate them, but just a few years ago I decided they weren't terrible.
Homeschool Fun
The kids are gearing up to participate in a local program where they get to go run a miniature town for a day - as you read this, we are probably doing our town training. The kids have to learn about economics, business, banking, and personal finance, then they apply for the jobs they want. They have to do an interview and they'll find out which jobs they got and meet with their business coworkers to make decisions, before the big day when they actually run the town. Wyatt wants to be an accountant for the parcel service (because he's good at math and accountants get paid more), Gwen wants to be a mail carrier or a doctor (both jobs that involve interacting with people, which fits her personality), and Clyde wants to be a service technician for the car shop (he loves anything to do with mechanics or transportation). The little girls are too young to participate yet. We have cousins and friends from church who will be doing the program at the same time, so it will be a really fun experience for them!
Our other fun add-in to school recently has been reading Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" together. It's been surprising how much the kids are understanding and enjoying it. I wrote up a whole post about what we are using and our experience with Shakespeare so far, so that post will be up on Thursday!
Are you getting ready for the holidays yet? What are you all doing for Thanksgiving?
Last year I wrote a post the day before Thanksgiving about our favorite Thanksgiving books, and unfortunately it came a little late for most people to be able to use it. I've learned my lesson, and I'm taking some time to share four more Thanksgiving books you should prepare to check out from the library - but before you read this list, go check out my original list of Thanksgiving books, because that one is much longer and has all our most favorite books for the holiday!
One note about the books I pick: I have a huge pet peeve about Thanksgiving books making no mention of who we are giving thanks to. The pilgrims did not have a Thanksgiving feast to thank the Native Americans - they invited their Native Americans friends, but they were giving thanks to God. With the exceptions of just a few books on my list that are directed at more historical events (ex. Balloons Over Broadway) or celebration ideas (ex. How To Celebrate Thanksgiving from my other post) or stories about the meal itself (ex. An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving), all of these books point the theme of "thanksgiving" where it belongs - toward the Giver of all good things.
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story Of The Puppeteer Of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet - This is a book that is in high demand at our library for some reason, but we finally got it and truly enjoyed learning about the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and how a man named Tony invented the idea of ballon flats for the parade!
The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh - This is a longer chapter book that tells the story of how the pilgrims came to the New World and established the first Thanksgiving feast. I love how historically accurate this one was!
An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott (illustrated by James Bernardin) - This is a sweet story about three girls who must be left alone on Thanksgiving, and attempt to make the meal for the family themselves, with mixed results! (Note: I could not find this version to link it, but if you can track it down, I loved the illustrations by Bernardin in this version.)
Sarah Gives Thanks by Mike Allegra - This book is about the woman who petitioned a series of presidents to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, and finally succeeded with Abraham Lincoln. I like this book about her best, as the family prays together and thanks the Lord for providing even in the midst of hard times.
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Get those books requested now, because if your library system is anything like mine, you may or may not get them in time to read before Thanksgiving is here!
For the first time I put together a Reformation Day party, and I think it was a success! I thought I'd share some of the things we did in case anyone else wants some ideas for next year.
Before I get into it, please check out all my Reformation Day posts here! Over the years I have shared a ton of book suggestions and other resources for learning about the Reformation as an adult and with your kids. Every October we spend time studying the Reformers leading up to Reformation Day!
1. Reformation-themed snacks. My sister brought worm pudding as a play on the "Diet Of Worms" which was the counsel where Luther made his famous statement about standing on the word of God! We also made edible hammers out of marshmallows and pretzel sticks. Aside from that we just had fall snacks like apples and pumpkin dip, along with popcorn, and chocolates!
2. Watched a movie about the Reformation. This year we did the Martin Luther Torchlighters animated show, and before the party I had my kids watch a short documentary called "On The Shoulders Of Giants" as an extra.
3. We colored the Lutheran rose symbol. This is a symbol that Luther invented to represent different doctrines, and it was fun to talk about it together while the kids colored! Here is more information about this symbol.
4. Reformation Day games.
Pin 95 Theses On The Door. We played the classic "pin the theses on the door" - I kept it really simple and just drew a dry-erase circle onto the center of our glass door, and blindfolded the kids so they could try to pin the theses printable papers onto the door (we got the printables from this guide).
Five Solas Target Practice. For a second game we drew concentric circles on the driveway with sidewalk chalk, and then wrote the five solas, one in each circle. The kids had to try to toss a stone into each sola circle. It was trickier than it sounds!
5. We sang "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God". This is Luther's most famous hymn, and we've been practicing it! It was nice to sing it together as a group!
6. Reformation Day craft. I wanted to include some sort of Reformation Day craft, since my kids are still at an age to enjoy that sort of thing, but we ran out of time! This year we were going to do a printing press activity, which I got from the guide from Brighter Day Press, but if you have rubber stamps at home I think that would also give the same idea! You can read more about what the printing press had to do with the Reformation in this post.
7. Reformation Day shirts. My kids still had Reformation Day shirts that I've made them in the past, and of course we all sported our shirts for the party! Not necessary at all, but fun!
(Me in this year's Reformation Day shirt. I didn't make this one, I got it from Sola Gratia Co!)
We had a really fun time, and the kids are already asking that we do another party next year! This party was obviously focused on elementary school kids, but I am storing away ideas for how to make a Reformation Day party more "grown-up" as they get older.
Every year in the month of October, I dig out all my church history books, and especially books related to the Protestant Reformation. Reformation Day is today, and October is the perfect time to dive into the history of this turning point in the history of the church.
This year, one phrase that has stood out to me is the Latin post tenebrous lux - which means "after darkness, light".
I love that this become somewhat of a slogan for the Reformation. So much is contained in those words.
The Reformation dusted off the light of the gospel.
When I think post tenebrous lux the first thing I think of with all my book reading is, of course, the Reformation itself. Medieval times before the Reformation were indeed dark spiritually. Few ordinary people had access to any part of God's word, and they all had to rely on the Catholic church's presentation of the words of the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible, which most people could not read for themselves to either confirm or deny the church's teaching.
Human beings are sinful, and without God's word being available for accountability, this led to alot of unbiblical teaching and corruption. People were taught that they never could know if they would be in Heaven after they died - to claim assurance was considered a sin. They must become righteous in themselves to a certain level in order to receive the grace of God that would usher them into Heaven - if not, they must do their time suffering in Purgatory. But of course, they could purchase indulgences to shorten their loved ones' time in Purgatory - there were cathedrals to be built, and this was the church's way of raising money.
Imagine living in a time when there was no hope of you ever being able to read the Bible for yourself, no hope of ever being sure of Heaven, because who could ever know if they had been righteous enough? What a burden to bear!
The Reformation was a perfect storm of events that God used for the recovery of the gospel, and it made the Bible available to the ordinary man. The reformers discovered from Scripture that we as sinners can never attain to any level of righteousness on our own. All our righteous deeds are as filthy rags.
But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like [b]filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,Have taken us away.Isaiah 64:6
No, it is Jesus's righteousness that wholly saves us, through faith in Him alone. When we trust in Him by faith, a faith given to us by the grace of God, the righteousness of Christ is accounted to us, and His righteousness is perfect. Because of Jesus's death to pay the price of our sin, and His perfect righteousness which He gives to us, we can be perfectly assured of Heaven when we trust in Him alone. No one else gets the glory for any piece of our salvation except God alone. And the reformers knew all this because of careful study of God's word alone, which leads to the next thing that the slogan of the Reformation reminds me of.
Scripture is a light.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.Psalm 119:105
I don't think alot of modern Christians fully understand how rare and beautiful of a thing it is that they are able to hold a Bible in their lap and read it for themselves - indeed, to sometimes have a shelf full of unread Bibles, even. We take Scripture for granted today, but there was a time when there was no translation of Scripture that the masses could read. There was a time when people would go to great lengths and pay a high price, just for a few pages of the Bible. No wonder there was a period of darkness, because the only way we can come to a knowledge of the truth is through the word of God!
The Bible often refers to itself as light, because it is the very word of God, active, effective for bringing the light of the knowledge of Christ to our hearts.
Back then, even a few pages was as a blessed lamp, giving hope to those wandering in darkness. Now so many Bibles "light" our land that we have sometimes forgotten what a beautiful light it truly is.
The Reformation is what allowed us to have a shelf of unused Bibles in the first place - God allowed Luther and the other reformers to recognize the true gospel in Scripture around the same time as Gutenburg invented the printing press. A perfect development at the perfect time to allow God's word to be read by anyone who could read.
Sometimes the world is dark, sometimes so dark things seem hopeless. But God always brings us light, in His wonderful mercy and grace.
Christ is our light.
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6
When I read the phrase "after darkness, light", the other thing that came to mind is Christ Himself. Without the work of Jesus on our behalf, we would be lost in the darkness of our sin. Because He suffered the punishment that we ourselves deserved for our sin, having no sin Himself, He became the perfect sacrifice in our place.
He bought us peace with God with His blood.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace...Ephesians 2:13-14
On that glorious morning, He rose from the dead and conquered death and darkness forever! The darkness that is left in our world today is just the remnants, the last ragings of a defeated foe. Our light has come in the hope we now have in Christ.
So many are still walking in darkness, blind to the light of the knowledge of Christ. They don't know what He has done to save them. They are blind and dead in their sins, relying on lies, perhaps relying on their own supposed goodness to somehow be enough, even though it never can be. Everything we do is tainted with sin, which God cannot have in His presence. Humanity has no hope of seeing His face - except if we give up any notion of our own goodness, confess we are sinners, and cling to the Savior as our only hope.
On this day in particular, many celebrate darkness and make light of death, a morbid coping mechanism. I hope while our culture glorifies death and darkness today, we who have placed our trust in only Christ won't forget that we also are to be the light of the world.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Mathew 5:14-16
We are lights not because of anything we have done, but because of the light God has given us in Christ and His word which we are now called to share. We know the hope that is in Christ, because we ourselves have been brought out of the darkness of our sin and death into the marvelous light of salvation in Jesus. When that really sinks in, how can we help but want to share it? I hope today is a day for you to bask in the light of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, and find some way to reflect that to others. That's why we are still here!
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
Ephesians 5:8
Let's give others a chance to also treasure those words. After darkness, light. After blindness and darkness and sin and rebellion and death - Christ.
Soli deo gloria - all to the glory of God alone.
Happy Reformation Day, friends!
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