Classical Conversations Informational Meeting

Yes...once again, it is Thursday.  Once again, I have not done read alouds with the children.  I hope to start implementing this...I really, really do...it just seems that our time is so crammed sometimes that just getting the basics done is a real accomplishment.  Anyway, instead of making Thursdays for our read-alouds, I think it will be something like Friday...a "free" day...to write about whatever strikes me.  I do intend to share our read alouds once we get to them...

Last week, I wrote a post pre-informational meeting about Classical Conversations.  I had read several blogs about it and some other online information.  After reading those things, I became very interested in what I was going to learn at this meeting.  I took notes, asked lots of questions, and came away feeling like "THIS" is what I have always been striving toward.  It seems like this is the way I was meant to teach and to homeschool my children.  I cannot describe it any other way rather than it just seems to F.I.T. in every way possible. 

Since then, I have been SCOURING for more information.  I feel like I know about as much about CC as I can without being a part of it.  I have found so many positive things about it that today I decided to type into the search box, "things I don't like about Classical Conversations."  A site came up that had a review...and people were asked to list pros and cons.  Almost every single one of them listed, "None," or "I can't think of ANY," in the cons.  I feel the same way!

February 12, I will go for an open house.  This is where we will actually SEE it in action and my children will participate as much or as little as they would like.  There are a few kids in the group that they know already, so it should be a fun experience for them and a learning experience for me. 

(The streets of Italy have never seen such sites as these three!  This was taken at our local art museum last year.)

If you would, please pray that God will show us in an undeniable way if this is what He wants us to be doing...at least for the next school year.  I have always said and plan to always make decisions year by year based on what has worked and what has not.  This year, a lot of new things worked...we have actually done a lot better in many areas of homeschooling this year than any other before...BUT there are still changes to be made...and I think that this is one change that will be extremely beneficial to us. 

A Word from The Word Wednesday

PREPARE

 

This week's word was a little bit difficult to choose.  There were many words that could have gone with the verses that I am focusing on...and the picture in my mind is hard to condense down to ONE word.  Luke 3:5-6 says, "Every ravine shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall become straight and the rough roads smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

 

Here is what Matthew Henry had to say about these verses..."Here is the fulfilling of the Scriptures, Isaiah 40:3, in the ministry of John...when way is made for the gospel into the heart, by taking down high thoughts, and bring them into obedience of Christ, by leveling the soul, and removing all that hinders us in the way of Christ and His grace, then prepartion is made to welcome the salvation of God."

 

 

The picture that I get in my mind after reading this is of a path that is cluttered...cluttered with rocks, logs, and all sorts of debris.  The path has many twists and turns...dips that are just as difficult to go down as to go up...hills, moutains...very "troublesome" terrain.  When John came to proclaim the gospel to the people of that day, he was "clearing the way" for Jesus to enter into the lives of those people!  He went along removing all of the rocks, logs, debris (hinderances) along the path...he, with the help of God, made the path straight...filled in the ravines, made the mountains and hills flat.  The path was made clear so that salvation could come in! 

 

Should this not be our desire as well...to help the people that we come in contact with to remove the hinderances in their path to salvation?  All the while, we need to make sure that the debris doesn't begin to clutter our path again. 

 

 

 

Dear Lord,

           Thank You for revealing new things to us as we study Your Word.  Even though I had read these verses before, they had never quite given the picture that they did this week.  Help us to "clear the way"...to prepare...ourselves by removing the hinderances in our life that clutter the path to You.  I pray that my way be clear and prepared to hear You when You speak and to learn from Your Word.  Help us to do as John did as he helped others prepare for You! 

In Jesus name,

Amen.



OneWord Update (and more changes)

I recently told another blogger friend of mine that January should have it's own four words..."Work Out The Kinks."  It's so true.  Getting things on to a new schedule, or back on to an old one, working on what you want to do NEW for the NEW year...it takes some time to get everything exactly the way that you want it...so, once again, I am making some changes to the plans that I had laid out about three weeks ago... 

I will include the change that I have made along with my update...

Spiritually:  I spent time in the Word last week...daily.  I spent time in prayer daily.  I have been learning a lot and getting closer to God through my time with Him each day.

Homeschooling:  I have kept up with my plans this past week...  We did go off schedule for a couple of days and are catching back up this week...the beauty of homeschooling!  The getting off schedule was not a planned thing...is it ever?...some of it I could have helped, some I couldn't have...  The great thing about homeschooling though is that I know where they are and where they need to go...the individualized part of homeschooling that cannot be done in the public schools is one of my main reasons for doing it.  Besides that, I am trying to make some changes for next school year.  While I am ready to make decisions NOW, my husband is one that likes to think about things for a while.  So, I am having to learn patience as I wait for him to decide what he thinks is best, and ultimately for the Lord to reveal to us what he wants for us in the next school year.  It is a tough decision...pros and cons here and there...so I could really use your prayers in this situation...

Health goals:  Do I even want to go here?  Last week was not a good week for being consistent...neither with exercise or with what I was eating/drinking.  I did make it to the gym today though, so hopefully this week will go better.  :) 

Blogging goals:  I blogged four days last week...so that was up to par with my goal.  This is where I am implementing a change.  I think that weekly is too often to update on the OneWord.  I am thinking that monthly would be better.  With that in mind, I have decided to make Mondays something different (haven't really decided yet...).  I will continue to blog four days a week, but Mondays will no longer be for OneWord updates. 

If you chose a OneWord for 2013, I'd love to know how you are doing! 

Are You Close To Your Kids?

As a mother, one of my greatest desires is to be close to my children throughout their childhood and continue as they become adults. How do I get close to them now and stay close to them in the future? ...

 

Join me for some ideas as I guest post today at Raising Mighty Arrows!

http://www.raisingmightyarrows.blogspot.com/2013/01/are-you-close-to-your-kids.html

Also linking up at

Classical Conversations Info Meeting...

Thursdays…supposed to be “What Are We Reading?” days.  Still have yet to work read aloud time into our schedule…so, my post would basically say the same things as it did last week.  My boys are still reading books in the series’ that they each enjoy…and my daughter is doing the same.  However, something important is happening today that I wanted to write a little about. 

Tonight, I am attending an informational meeting about Classical Conversations.  I have heard of this type of homeschooling “style,” but never took time to really find out about how it “worked.”  I am going into this meeting pretty much blind about the whole concept.  My husband and I decided early on which curriculum we were going to use…because he used it when he was homeschooled growing up…so we took off with that and didn’t look back.  Until this year…  This year, I started seeing other curriculums that I thought would work better for our family.  I started to see the positive sides of “other” curriculums and see the not so positive sides of ours.  None of this to say that one curriculum is better than another…but that each family is different…and each year is even different.  What worked for us when we started, may not be working as well five years later.  So, I am going to this meeting tonight to see if it is something that God might have planned for one of the changes to make in the next school year(s). 

As I have read about Classical Conversations from other bloggers, I see that they are learning the things that I have always wanted to teach my child but didn’t feel like I had the TIME to do so.  It may be something that benefits us greatly if we choose to go that direction.  My main struggle is that I do NOT want to have more than one obligation outside of the home during the week.  We are already members of a co-op that meets once a week.  Therefore, if we decided to do Classical Conversations, which also meets once a week, I would have to forego the co-op.  The kids and I have many friends at the co-op…and I have expressed in the blog how thankful I am for the co-op, and the families there that have been such and encouragement and blessing in my life. 

Well, I will write more about the meeting next week…and the decision making process will probably continue until I start to get things ready for the next school year, which wouldn’t be until May or June…so I have plenty of time to mull this over.  I would like to know from any of you familiar with Classical Conversations…what do you like about it?  What do you NOT like about it?  Just the pros and cons from your own personal experience.  What led you to choose Classical Conversations for your family? 

A Word From The Word Wednesday

JOY

One of the greatest examples we have in the Bible of a person that truly has the joy of the Lord is Simeon (Luke 2:21-35).  He was a man prepared and looking for the Redeemer to come!  After all, he had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen Jesus.  As Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus into the temple, the Spirit again spoke to Simeon to tell him that the One that he had been waiting for had come!  Simeon held the baby and showed his faith by blessing God and saying that the One he had been waiting for was this Child that he was now holding in his arms.  He also says that he is ready to go from this world now in peace because he was able to see the Savior of the world!  What more joy of the Lord can you ask for?  He had seen the Savior…that was all he was waiting for…and now he was ready to go from this world.

 

I read Matthew Henry’s commentary on these verses concerning Simeon.  I want to share some of his words with you.  “The same Spirit that provided for the support of Simeon’s hope, provided for his joy…He bids farewell to this world.  How poor does this world look to one that has Christ in his arms, and salvation in his view!  See here, how comfortable is the death of a good man; he departs in peace with God, peace with his own conscience, in peace with death.  Those that have welcomed Christ, may welcome death.”

Simeon had become an old man.  His strength was surely waning…but he had strength to do his daily duties at the temple.  I believe that Simeon not only rested in the hope that the Savior was coming, but he waited joyfully…  In Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 10, we read that the joy of the Lord is our strength.  Simeon rested in his hope, with JOY, that the Savior was coming!  What a day it must have been when the promise given to him was brought to completion!  He was able to hold the Savior in his arms!

Lord,

Help me to wait for Your return as Simeon waited for Your birth…with hope and joy.  Thank You for coming to earth to be the Savior of all men…if they would only turn to You.  Thank You for Your Word that introduces us to people like Simeon.  Let my strength come from the joy that I find only in You.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 



OneWord Update #2 (and some changes)

I feel much better about writing this post than I did about the one last week.  I have done a lot better with my goals this week, and hope to continue to improve week after week.

Spiritually:  I have had quiet time before the kids got up 4 out of the 5 weekdays this week.  I am very pleased with that.  Of course, 5 out of 5 would have been better, but at least I am improving.  I did have a prayer time daily.  I am also pleased about what I have learned from the Word this week.  I have been studying in Luke and focusing on traits of Zacharius, Elizabeth, Joseph, and Mary.

Health:  As we have gotten farther into the New Year, I have found that some of my good intentions at being consistent are just not going to work with our schedule.  This is where my change comes in.  Going to the gym four days a week would be GREAT, and I’m sure that it would help me reach my health goals more quickly, but it just will not work with our schedule.  Therefore, I am changing this to three days week.  I may change it back to four days after I get a bike…  I could go to the gym three days and then bike ride another day to get four days of exercise in.  My water drinking is still the same.  I have found, through the years, that if I have some sort of water bottle that I can carry around with me, I am much more likely to drink the amount of water that I need.  About 6 months ago, I got a really nice water “bottle” as a gift.  It was made of hard plastic, but still broke when my son accidently knocked it off of the table.  I need to make sure that I get one soon!  I think that I also ate something after 7 p.m. once this week…just like last week.

Homeschooling:  I have kept plans up-to-date.  We are still moving forward on everything else.  We did take a break this week…just because we all needed it.  I plan on schooling on MLK Day anyway, so we will make up for that one pretty quickly.

Blogging:  For the first time, I blogged four times this week!!!  I enjoy writing so much.  This is something that I have come to love!

So...consistency has been better...and hoping to keep moving in that direction.  :)