Thoughts on Homeschool ~ Pt. 4 (the end)

If you are interested in the previous posts in this series,
you will find links to the Introduction by clicking here,
Part One by clicking here,
Part Two here, and Part Three here.

If homeschool is not for you,
please know that I am not offended and do not wish to offend.
Click here to read a previous post addressing this.
May the LORD help us all to lead our young ones faithfully to HIM!

If you are just beginning to homeschool, are thinking of homeschool,
or are a veteran homeschool family, I would HIGHLY recommend
getting yourself a copy of

"When You Rise Up"
by R.C. Sproul Jr.


This book has been used in a wonderful way in my heart!
I wish I could buy each of you a copy!
It is that good!
(Notice all the sticky notes I have marking mine?)

I found out about it from a young Mom who is just beginning to homeschool.
When I read Tami's post about this book
my heart went out to her.
Her questions spurred on some of the following thoughts...

We cannot get it "ALL" done!
BUT we do seem to get done what is really IMPORTANT to us!
Each individual homeschool Mum
(and non-homschool Mum, for that matter)
makes choices each and every day.

What is IMPORTANT to you?

Is it to have a PERFECT house?
Or make a HOME?
Is it to be able to eat off the floor or
have a semblance of order with the important things relatively clean?

Is it IMPORTANT to get a weekly date at the spa
and have coffee nights out with your friends?

Is it IMPORTANT to exercise exlusively at the gym or
go for a walk or bike ride with your children?

Is it IMPORTANT to maintain a blog at the rate of
a post a day, a week, a month??

Is it IMPORTANT to have time alone with the LORD daily?

What is IMPORTANT to you?
Fill in the blank with whatever the answer is.

The LORD gave us ONLY 24 hours in the day,
and I would submit to you that there is enough time to do all
HE calls us to do in it!

How often I have done what I WANTED
to do rather than what I SHOULD do!

Again, I would say that we make time for the things we
value as PRIORITY.

The World would tell us that WE are the priority.
WE must do something for ourselves or
we will wither up and die!

Is this really TRUE ~
or just another lie that we have embraced?

Our niece was recently in Ghana.
The experiences she had and the things she observed put me to shame.
Those people have no "extra" time.

They SURVIVE.

Yet, in the midst of it all,
they are CONTENT and even JOYFUL!!

If we would view our children as the
BLESSING that they are,
and think Biblically about them,
we may find our PRIORITIES will come into clearer focus.


So, back to the question ~
How do you accomplish "real" life and get it
ALL done while "doing" school?

Each family has a unique mix of children.
Things are always in a state of change when there are children in the home.
While the children are young, they require so much physical care
and contribute very little to the running of the home.

But this situation is short-lived.

They quickly become capable and willing to be a help.
Even a small (3 year old) child can help with simple chores.
"Mummy folds the laundry while you run it to the right location for me!"
Make it FUN.
They WANT to help!

AND before long, they REALLY will be
a help! REALLY! :)

Our eight year old girl LOVES to wash dishes!
That comes in handy right now as our dishwasher is broken. :)
Yes, she takes longer to do it and makes a bit of a mess in the process,
but she is occupied HELPING and is JOYFUL about it!!

Teaching happens ALL DAY LONG.
Yes, there are academics to be tackled,
but there is SO MUCH of life that is just LIVING.
Include the children in the tasks of the day.

When we began homeschool, our children were 10, 8, 6, and 3 years old.
I found that we could work for an hour together on the "essentials" ~
dishes, laundry, vacuuming, etc...
and accomplish in that ONE hour
what would have taken me about THREE hours to do alone.
Essentially, the children "gave back" two hours a day to me,
which I then could use for teaching.
Interesting, isn't it?

I would encourage any young mother just beginning in this journey to
think through a "daily duties" routine, and include the children!

How does that look in our home?
Each child is responsible for at least one specific "daily duty"
and remains in that "office" until such a time as I think it is best
to rotate them into the next job.
(Probably not for at least a year ~
time enough for them to become proficient at it,
and for me to not have to worry about it).

This way, you train one child well in their job and they do it consistently.
If it is not done properly or not at all,
you will know who is responsible.
It is also "ease of operation" for Mum.
No great long explanations or instructions are necessary.

When I say "chore time" they all know what is expected.
As they get older they will be capable of more,
and they will be more efficient at it.

Also, keep in mind that if you begin homeschool at the begining,
you will likely have only ONE child doing academic studies and
it will take a relatively small amount of concentrated time to teach
him or her in the early grades.

As that child grows and the next child is introduced to formal "school",
presumably, the older child will be a little more independent in their studies.
You will be able to assign seat work to him or her
while you work with their younger sibling.

As for what to do with toddlers and babies during the "teaching" time ~
maybe the "formal" academics could take place during nap time
or some other time when the little ones are happiest.
I've also found it to be a blessing to engage the older siblings in
one-on-one time with the younger children.
I have set the timer for 30 minutes while an older child plays with
or reads to a younger child.
And then they "rotate" and another child takes over.

There are so many ways this will play out and each year
(or multiple times throughout the year), tweaking will be necessary,
but the principle remains the same...
you are TRAINING children for the LORD and HIS glory...
not FIRST to be brain surgeons, lawyers, etc...
God will lead your family along as you seek HIM for wisdom.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him."
~ James 1:5 ~

Managers of Their Homes
is a fabulous resource to help bring order and
productivity to your home.

It can be done!

AND if you are wondering how to go about it,
I would highly recommend getting your hands on this book!

One more recommendation for you regardless of
the stage you are at in the journey is ~
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine.


I have relished each copy that I have received!
The articles are full of encouragement from other Homeschool
families who have "been there" and "done that".
I have not been disappointed in the least with it.
In fact, the only time I was disappointed was when
my subscription ran out!

One last thought...
DO NOT allow yourself to get "bogged down" by the "system's"
objectives for your child.

Your child is, after all,
YOUR child and you must never allow yourself to
believe that "they" know best and are
"better equipped" to do the task!!
Oh...how easy it is to fall into this trap!

It IS a trap!!

WE know our children best.
WE have a love for our children that is God-given.
AND we are called by God to raise them FOR HIM!!

"Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
~ Proverbs 22:6 ~

Be sure to get your own copy of
"When You Rise Up"
for more encouragement in these precious truths!

Blessings to each of you!
In Him,
Camille

**Disclaimer ~ I am in no way compensated for the product
recommendations given in this post.
I only share them because they have been a blessing to me
and I trust they will be of benefit to you as well.

Beautiful Blackberries!

There's nothing quite like freshly made
blackberry syrup to enjoy with
Grandma's Waffles!

YUM YUM!

Memories are stirred from
my own childhood days.
We would pick
SO. MANY. BERRIES.
that they would seem to take over the kitchen.

The children and I together got one large bowl full ~
And it only took an hour of picking to fill it.
The process of straining and
cooking up the berries was time-consuming.
BUT well worth the effort!

It's a treat when they are easy to pick!

Reaching for the "best" berries...
always a *little* bit too far away!

Watch out for thorns...they really grab on!


Often they hide under leaves...we hunt for them.


OH. THE. BLISS.

That first taste of yummy syrup was payment enough.
Want to know the "recipe"?
Want to know the "secret"?

I want to tell you that it has taken years to chisel this out.
There was no "tried and true" recipe that I knew of.
It was all "trial and error".
Many of the past jars of "syrup" were really
nothing more than less than firm jelly.
I had to heat it up to get it to the right consistency.

But now...
I think I've got it!
And I'm going to share the "secret"
with all of you! :)

How to go from this...


To this...


To bottled up yumminess!



~ Blackberry Syrup ~

10 cups extracted Blackberry Juice
1/4 package Certo Light Crystals (1 Tbsp)
7 cups Evaporated Cane Juice (Or White Granulated Sugar)
(This is enough for six pints of syrup)

How to make it?

~ Pick the berries

~ Wash the berries

~ Heat the berries just a little and mash
with a potato masher to get the juices flowing

~ Strain the berries with cheesecloth or a strainer to extract the juice
**Be patient**
This step takes quite awhile ~
I found that it took my batch about 4 or 5 hours of drip-drip-dripping :)

~ Measure the juice and hopefully you have enough,
if not, adjust the recipe accordingly

~ Wash your pint-size jars (2 cups) and lids
in hot soapy water and rinse REALLY well

~ Put your glass jars on a cookie sheet in the oven set at
225 degrees to sterilize them
(they should be in there for at least 20 minutes...
leave them while you make the syrup)

~ Boil water in your canner (fill it a few inches from the top)

~ Boil a little pot of water for softening the sealer lids
(don't put the lids in just yet)

~ In a very large pot put your blackberry juice and stir into it
the 1 Tbsp of Certo mixed with 1/4 cup of the sugar

~ Bring to a boil over very high heat (stirring)

~ Stir in remaining sugar and continue stirring...
return to a boil and boil hard (cannot stir down) for 1 minute

~ Remove from heat and stir and skim off foam for 5 minutes

~ During this 5 minutes of stirring,
put your sealer lids into the recently boiled water

~ Remove jars from the oven and fill to 1/4 inch from the top with
syrup, wipe with a clean cloth and place the sealer lid on and screw band
until finger-tip tightened

~ Place in the canning rack and lower into the
boiling water canner

~ Be sure the water covers the tops of your lids by one inch

~ Cover and keep at a gentle boil and simmer 10 minutes

~ Remove from the canner and set aside to cool

~ You should hear the *pop*pop*pop* of sealing jars within minutes of
removal from the hot water bath...SUCH a satisfying sound! :)

Any questions?
Feel free to ask!
I do hope you give it a try...
it really is super yummy!

Blessings,
Camille

Be Still and Know...

Do you KNOW the Living God?
Is HE your Saviour?

This Psalm and its promises belong to the Christian!
THAT's AMAZING news!!

I would encourage you to take the time to really
let the words of this Psalm sink deep into your soul ~
It is GLORIOUS!

The LORD recently drew our attention to this
precious passage of Scripture in a fresh way ~
just as a trial was coming along.

Oh. The. Joy.
there is in KNOWING
our Great and WONDERFUL God!
HE is the ONE that sustains us and
gives us grace day by day!

Fortify yourself in the Word of God.
HE is Great and Mighty and Powerful on our behalf!
How blessed we are to belong to HIM!

~ Psalm 46 ~

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will we not fear,
though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be
carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar
and be troubled,
though the mountains shake
with the swelling thereof.
Selah.

There is a river,
the streams whereof shall make glad
the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacles
of the most High.

God is in the midst of her;
she shall not be moved:
God shall help her,
and that right early.

The heathen raged,
the kingdoms were moved:
he uttered his voice,
the earth melted.

The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah.

Come, behold the works of the LORD,
what desolations he hath made in the earth.

He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;
he breaketh the bow,
and cutteth the spear in sunder;
he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.

The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Holy Bible
**Emphasis mine**

The Power of Music

I have visibly seen the effect of good music.
AND the effect of music that is not so good.
The workings of it have been witnessed in my own soul.
For good and for bad.

There have been times when I have encountered my
children playing together ~
doing something like Lego,
and the attitudes and words exchanged
amongst themselves were not edifying.

Quietly I turn on *the* music...
happy, children's music ~
Scripture in song.

A transformation takes place.
The children *suddenly* are happier...
joyful...
and kind.

They sing along...
almost subconsciously.
And they don't even realise what I have done.

I.N.T.E.R.E.S.T.I.N.G.

Music is powerful.

What are we filling our minds and homes with?
Pause to consider the effect.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom;
teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
~ Colossians 3:16 ~

Many Blessings,
Camille

Coconut Cream Pie ~ From Scratch!

Do you want to know what
Fraser requested for his birthday dessert?

Cake?

No ~
he asked for THIS!
And was I ever happy!

Summer is not the time to be heating up
the house with BAKING a cake!
And this pie does not heat up the house
one little bit!

Well, I suppose just for baking the shell,
but it's so quickly done.
You could even buy the pre-made kind!
The P.E.R.F.E.C.T. summer dessert.
And really so
EASY!



~ Coconut Cream Pie ~

From a friend long ago...
printed out from her computer's stash of recipes...
Thank you Grace! :)

~ Ingredients ~

For the filling you will need ~

2/3 cup Sugar (I use organic evaporated cane juice)
1/2 cup Organic Flour
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
3 cups Organic Milk
4 Egg Yolks, slightly beaten
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Tbsp Butter
1 cup Medium Unsweetened Coconut

For the topping you will need ~

2 cups Whipping Cream (measured before whipping)
2 Tbsp Sugar and 1 tsp Vanilla to flavour the cream when you whip it
3 Tbsp Toasted Coconut
(you can do this by spreading the coconut onto a parchment-lined
cookie sheet in the oven at 250 degrees for a few minutes...
it doesn't take long and will burn easily ~ watch closely)

1 Deep Dish Pie Shell, baked ~
I used a graham crumb crust this time
(Follow the directions on the side of the box of crumbs)
Or make your own pastry crust ~
It really is a personal preference thing.

~ Directions ~

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan.
Mix together the milk and egg yolks in a separate bowl
and whisk into the flour mixture in the pan.
Be sure to mix well and turn on the heat to medium.
Cook until mixture boils ~ stirring constantly.
Boil and stir for one minute.

Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.
Then stir in coconut.
Pour into baked shell.

Cover with parchment paper and chill till firm and cool.
Spread whipped cream on top to cover evenly.
Sprinkle with toasted coconut to garnish.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 more hours.

Try to share with seven friends/loved ones.
ENJOY!

Cousin Time ~ Day Two

My sister and her family were here for a few days
the week before last.
We had some special times together ~
two days in a row.
Emma had her girl cousin for a sleepover.

~ W.O.N.D.E.R.F.U.L. ~

We met up the next day to return precious cousin to her family.
Since we live so near the beach,
a stroll along the shore was the destination.

Little man cousin...taking it all in!

The girls...

Calvin and Fraser...

All SIX of 'em ~ front view...

And strolling away from us...

The girls running...

And pondering life...maybe?

Is it possible to go to the beach and NOT get wet??

Apparently not...

The whole gang...except me. :)

Strolling the promenade and chatting...

Great Auntie from Saskatchewan had a treat...

Rocket Balloons...ever heard of them?

They were...
G.R.E.A.T. F.U.N.!!!

Calvin made a discovery along the path back to the car.
I made him release it before leaving the beach.
Smart Mum, don't you think?
FYI ~ it was A.L.I.V.E.

Continuing to number my thanks ~
gratefulness is addicting.

731. A beach nearby to enjoy year-round

732. A "holiday destination" to explore at our leisure ~
and that we can return home at night to our own beds

733. The sparkle of sunlight on the distant waves ~
it looks like diamonds on the sea

734. "Fish and Chips" for dinner ~
a summer tradition and a local favourite

735. Rocket balloons ~ fun times!

736. An auntie who thinks of these things
and brings them along ~ thank you!! :)

737. Six kids running along the shore

738. Watching the kids interact and enjoy one another's company

739. Sunny summer days to enjoy the great outdoors

740. Thankful that the grasshopper was set free before the
ride home ~ and it was not used as a weapon. ;-)

Many Blessings,
Camille

Stop and Consider...

My greatest desire is to bring glory to the Lord
in this life He has given me.
What is your greatest desire?

Would you please read this article
and prayerfully consider the contents of it?
What is your response?

Do not live even one more day without the Lord Jesus Christ ~
HE is the only way to have peace with God!
We are all travelling to a destination ~
Where are you headed?

For more food for thought,
you might like to watch this video.
It is the testimony of one of Hollywood's former young stars.
May the Lord bless you as you seek Him ~
may you be found of HIM!

Blessings,
Camille

Leading Our Children to the Throne of Grace

Devotional times...what does that mean, exactly?
We are to live a life of devotion to the LORD.
We are to guide our little (and not so little) ones
to do the same.
How do we go about it?

"...precept upon precept; line upon line...
here a little, and there a little."
Isaiah 28:10 selected

Daily.
In the rhythm of life.
With the LORD's help and grace.
We cannot do it in our own strength ~
We need HIM each step of the way!

When we sit down, and rise up, and walk by the way ~
taken from Deuteronomy 6:7.

While the children are young, we have a morning devotional
time with them ~ one on one, or one on two.
When the children begin to mature in their own walk with the LORD,
we encourage them to get alone with God and His Word
before the day begins.

We gather as a family after the evening meal.
We set the time aside to read and pray and sing.
The focus is God's Word.
We systematically read through a few verses at a time
(sometimes the entire chapter)
as we make our way through a book of the Bible.
We discuss the questions that may arise.
The Word of God is held in high esteem ~
other books are helps, but not the focus.

We also use the London Baptist Confession of 1689 which
C.H. Spurgeon held to in his congregation about 150 years ago ~
it is solely based on Scripture and features a question and answer format.
We have found it to be very beneficial in grounding us in those things
that are to be held fast to in our faith...a great blessing!

Do we sound PERFECT?
WE are NOT ~
but HE is!
AND we look to HIM for the way to go.
We need HIM to lead us as we lead our young ones.

All of the books pictured above, and linked to below,
have been a blessing to our family over the years.
The boys have each used "A Faith to Grow On"
for their own personal quiet times in days gone by.
Pastor John MacArthur teaches the basic truths of God's Word
faithfully in an easy to understand format...
in "bite-sized" chunks.

The book pictured above has a different cover than the one
you will find at the link provided, but the content is the same.

The "Miller Family Series"
of books incorporates Biblical truths into stories
that each of our children have enjoyed.
We have used these books as read-aloud supplements
to the Word of God during quiet times.
The Miller family is fictional and the stories are set
in an Amish community.

Another amazing book is a rewrite of the classic by Bunyan.
We have read it aloud to our children more than once, much to their delight.
"Little Pilgrim's Progress"is true to the original
and is certainly appropriate for any young teen.

Don't steer clear of it if your children are younger,
you will all benefit from reading it out loud ~
it has been an INCREDIBLE blessing to both of us as parents
as well as our children.

One word of caution if you will be reading this to young children ~
Please be aware that this is a faithful adaptation of the classic,
which means that there are some potentially frightening scenes included.
These deal with Christian's struggles with various enemies as he
journeys to the Celestial City.

Helen L. Taylor is the author and she does a wonderful job of
simplifying this beautiful Christian Classic.
You will not likely find it in your local Christian bookstore.
If you click on the titles above, you will find that they link
to the sites where they can be purchased.

"Leading Little Ones to God"
has a more in depth and thorough handling of the Doctrines of Scripture.
Do not be afraid to delve into these deeper truths with your children...
they are very rich and necessary for their appreciation of the God we serve.
This book has chapters that are usually only a couple of pages long ~
a very manageable amount for family devotional times.
You will likely find that the ideas presented here will
facilitate wonderful discussions with your children.
Once again, the cover is different from the one you will find at the link,
but the content largely remains the same.

Seek, with the Lord's help, to set aside time each day
to have devotions with your children.
It is vital to their Spiritual growth and
to their knowledge of the Holy.
We are, after all, called to this ~
"Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

May the LORD give us each the enabling, the strength,
and the grace to carry out this all-important calling.
HE is able!

In Him,
Camille


*A repost from the archives with some new information added
*Resources recommended from our experience only ~
not compensated or solicited

Thirst Quencher ~ For All Ages!

How do you quench your thirst on a hot summer's day?
We've been having another HEAT wave!
The children always ask for
L.E.M.O.N.A.D.E.

And it must be
H.O.M.E.M.A.D.E.

We quench the thirst of the masses...
or at least the neighbourhood children ~
whoever comes when I call gets a glass.

~ Camille's Lemonade ~

Squeeze the juice from as many lemons as it takes to make 1 & 1/2 cups of juice ~
I use organic lemons
Add about 10 cups of water (including the water used in the ice cubes)
Stir in 1 & 1/2 cups sugar ~ I use organic evaporated cane juice

Adjust to taste ~
This is not an exact recipe...
make it your own.

It may be too sweet or strong for you...
add more lemons, water or sugar to make it ~
P.E.R.F.E.C.T.

Be forewarned ~
your customers will appear out of nowhere!

~ Enjoy! ~

Cousin Time ~ Day One

My sister and her family were here for a few days.
We were able to reconnect and enjoy some "cousin" time.
A BBQ dinner was followed by a "campfire" in the backyard.
And S'Mores!

Emma had her cousin for a sleep-over ~
J.O.Y.

I interevened at 11:30 P.M. ~
No more
T.A.L.K.I.N.G.!!

Remember those days?
*Smile*

Thankful for family and all that means!
Continuing to number the Blessings
on this Monday ~
Practicing gratefulness...

"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice
of praise to God continually, that is,
the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."
Hebrews 13:15







716. Backyard fires

717. Marshmallows to roast

718. S'Mores to make and eat ~ YUM!

719. Starry summer nights

720. Cousins to have sleepovers with

721. Lazy morning after a LATE night!

722. That sleep can get "caught up on" later :)

723. Grandma's Waffles ~
WITH cream and berries...oh.dear.me.

724. Memories to make and cherish

725. Slowing down to enjoy

726. Tears when the cousin is gone ~ precious

727. The idea of becoming "pen pals" with her cousin

728. Thankful that I didn't have to eat the burned marshmallows that
can be seen in the last photo above! :)

729. The picnic table in the yard...great spot for it!

730. The cousins that the LORD has given to our children ~
Blessings

Many Blessings,
Camille

A Sovereign Protector

A Sovereign Protector I have,
Unseen, yet forever at hand,
Unchangeably faithful to save,
Almighty to rule and command.

He smiles and my comforts abound;
His grace as the dew shall descend,
And walls of Salvation surround
The souls He delights to defend.

Inspirer and hearer of prayer,
Thou Shepherd and Guardian of Thine,
My all to thy covenant care,
I sleeping and waking resign.

If Thou art my shield and my Sun,
The night is no darkness to me;
And, fast as the moments roll on,
They bring me but nearer to Thee.

Augustus Toplady (1774)

Where Does Your Strength Come From?

These praying hands were drawn by my Dad while he was a Bible School student in the 60's. We are the fortunate owners of this lovely drawing and my husband has it hung in his office.

It serves as a wonderful reminder of where our strength lies. In God Alone do we put our trust...He is the sustainer of our very breath. What a blessing to be a child of the King of Kings!

I love this article on prayer written so beautifully as a reminder to us all that we are to be constantly in an attitude of prayer and need to set time aside to pray...like Daniel. We are, after all, walking through this life WITH the Lord!


**Praying Hands pencil drawn by Don Scott 1964**

Boys For Hire!

The boys keep busy in the summer months
with jobs for the neighbours,
as well as jobs for us...
and the paper route.
They also like to spend some time playing...
of course! :)

We have lived in our neighbourhood for nearly 16 years.
The boys have grown up here.
The neighbours have kindly allowed them to shovel snow,
sweep driveways, walk dogs,
weed and water, feed a cat, and mow lawns ~
FOR PAY!

Each of the photos below was taken at the job site ~
three different neighbouring yards involved here.

~ Austin mowing a lawn ~

We are blessed beyond measure with the neighbourhood that the LORD
has graciously put us in!
We did not *choose* this house to live in.
It was a "fixer-upper" meant to "flip" within a few months of purchase.
The market went soft just as we bought.
Six months later we moved in.
God's PROVISION!

We had not "researched" the area.
We didn't even have the house inspected
(more on that one day perhaps)...

~ Calvin "weeding" in full protective gear! :) ~

We had NO IDEA what a GREAT place this would be to raise children!
How WONDERFUL that the LORD knows what is BEST for us!
We thought we were above this place.
It was not "good enough".
I am ashamed to remember what we thought in those days!
We were like spoiled children who should have had this home
stripped off of us and never given another!

God's GRACE is such that we often are given what we
DO NOT DESERVE!

And His MERCY is such that we often do NOT get what we
DO DESERVE!

~ Fraser watering ~

Continuing to number HIS graces ~
daily gifts and blessings from HIS loving hand...

701. The home we live in ~ a gift from God!

702. That we have never moved house with our children...
incredible thought!

703. The neighbourhood God PLACED us in...
we never would have chosen it!
(Another incredible thought)!
We were so spoiled in our thinking ~ to our shame!!

704. That God did NOT strip this home from us ~
HE is so long-suffering and patient!

705. The neighbours who seek out our boys to give them jobs!

706. The three boys who God has given us to teach and train.

707. The promise God has given to give us the wisdom to
accomplish the calling in #705.

708. Protective gear when danger threatens ~ *smile*
(There actually was REAL danger lurking on that property),
which has since been removed!

709. Finding a news article about that danger "just in time" ~
The LORD once again!

710. MANY things (jobs) to occupy the boys ~
no time to get restless...they have been helping around here too! :)

711. FULL summer days!

712. Development of work ethic ~
oppotunities directly from our Loving Heavenly Father's hand!

713. Lazy summer days!

714. All the opportunities to visit with friends and family
while we enjoy the "relaxed" schedule of summer

715. Special memories that have been made...
the LORD is good!

The Grace We Need

I would like to share with you something precious
that was shared with me quite some time ago.

I had been anticipating ~ with a measure of dread ~
a new work situation which I knew wouldn't be pleasant.
A godly man learned of my distress and told me...
"Camille, God's grace will be there EXACTLY when you need it!"

The grace for a future obstacle or situation will always arrive on time...
God is NEVER late with His provisions.


We may wonder how we will handle what is coming;
a new job, a new baby, a new home,
the loss of a loved one, personal difficulty or illness,
another homeschool year...
WHATEVER it is...
again, I would say ~
God's grace WILL be there for whatever
it is that you need to face.

We all can wonder, but we
MUST NEVER WORRY ~
BIG difference!

Worrying, of course, is sin.
Turn everything over to the Lord in prayer
and He will relieve you of the burden of care...
trust Him, He DOES know what He is doing!

God is Sovereign and Perfect...
we know these things,
but do we LIVE like we know them?
Do we live like we
BELIEVE them?
He works everything out for our good
and for His glory ~ see Romans 8:28.


Philippians 4:13 ~
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Philippians 4:19 ~
"But my God shall supply ALL your NEED
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
(emphasis mine)

II Corinthians 12:9-10 ~
"...My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,
in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions,
in distresses for Christ's sake:
for when I am weak, then I am strong."


As I journey with the Lord through this life,
I have seen the truth in what that wise and godly older gentleman
told me on that day long ago.
We all have difficulties to face ~ trials, and sometimes terrible circumstances,
but we CAN face ALL of it, with thanksgiving,
WITH the Lord and by His grace...
day by day, moment by moment.
What a blessing to be a child of the King of Kings!

**Repost from the archives