Joy to the Heart

What’s In My ‘Stroller’?

July 3, 2012 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) Leave a Comment

(and does it really need to be there?)

I have been planning, plotting, praying, and not feeling any peace about curriculum choices for this fall.

I’ve made the lists for each child, for each grade, for what I think they need to do or experience this coming school year. I’ve made tentative plans for Monday through Friday for how to fit it all in. I’ve compared prices. I’ve even placed some items in my online shopping carts. Unlike previous years though,

I…just…can’t…seem…to…purchase a single thing.

As I look at the possible weekly plan, consider the changes our family will be facing this fall, and look long and hard into my sweet children’s faces, I am reminded of those words… and that stroller… and of my great need for my strength to be found completely in Him. I’ve packed up my stroller to overflowing with solid, worthwhile curriculum choices and my arms are loaded with more sound learning materials that I think are beneficial, but do all of those ‘good’ things really need to be there…during this transition season, with so many little ones looking for stability, time, and affection?

Yes, “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me, “ but am I letting Him determine ‘my everything’ or am I insisting on my own way and adding unnecessary burdens to myself, my children, and our family?

I know that He will provide strength to do the things that He has called me to do. So, I wait, praying for His Hand to show the way.

Show me your ways, O Lord,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
(Psalm 25:4-5)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Filed Under: Mom's Heart, The Joy of God's Word, The Joy of Homeschool

Note to Self: You Can’t Do It All

July 2, 2012 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) 2 Comments

She carefully places her bags into the little stroller, stacking and rearranging them until they do not fall. She then looks longingly at the pillow that she has brought down from her room (again). She makes several attempts to place the pillow atop the already loaded stroller. It slides off. She tries again. It falls to the ground once more. She is struggling to keep her self control after an active morning at church, trying to entertain herself as she awaits her lunch that mommy just can’t seem to make fast enough. Glancing up at me, she says in exasperation, “Mama, I CAN’T get it to work!” Without hesitating, I calmly reply, “Sometimes, you can’t do everything.” She insists that she CAN do it and persists in finding a way to have both her fully loaded stroller and her pillow…

and she is all smiles!

It isn’t too long, though, before she starts to trip…

to slip…and to proceed to fall completely down.

You are probably wondering why I stopped to take photos of my little girl struggling and falling, but as soon as I heard myself say,

Sometimes, you can’t do everything.

the tears began to sting and the words echoed loudly in my mind. I grabbed my camera, ready to capture what I knew was about to conspire. For, after all, she is her mother’s child. I was realizing that I must remember…

Sometimes, you can’t do everything.

All the while my sweet daughter was playing and working hard to make all of her items fit the way she thought that they should, attempting to carry more than she really should, I was being the typical multitasking mama. I was trying…
-to hold back tears due to missing my husband who is away for training for missions,
-to focus on making lunch for my five darling children,
-to locate something that had been lost,
-to keep my toddler content and out of mischief,
-to switch out laundry,
-and to listen to my son brainstorm a list of things he wanted to do that afternoon!

Oh, the irony!

Sometimes, you can’t do everything.

I am thankful that God has given me this clear visual reminder that I cannot do it all! It is ~~okay~~ good to ask for help…from my older children, from family members, from friends, and most importantly, from my Savior. Why do I have such a difficult time remembering this? Why do I feel like I must do it all? Not only that, but why do I think that I have to do it all on my own?

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23–24)

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave,where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)

How should I go through my days?
~as working unto the Lord,
doing what He has prepared for me to do for His glory

I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
(1 Chronicles 16:11)

If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:11)

How can I serve my family when I am weak, tired, and stretched thin?
~with the strength that God provides

Yes, I need to work hard and to be diligent, but it is even more essential that I learn to rely on Christ’s strength – not my own.

Filed Under: Mom's Heart, The Joy of Children, The Joy of God's Word

Child Training Bible

April 26, 2012 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) Leave a Comment

By placing Scripture verses to tunes, there are usually several verses that regularly come to mind quickly as I sit down to discipline one of the children. However, I always wish that I could remember the multitude of other verses that we have read that would fit the situation as well – and, most importantly, in a timely manner!

So, when I recently came across information for the Child Training Bible, I realized that this may just be the tool that I have been needing! Starting with any version of the Bible, you can use the charts created by Mindy Dunn and her idea for highlighting and tabbing key Scriptures to create a quick, easy to use, Scripture reference tool.

Mindy has selected Bible verses that pertain to just about every child’s common sinful tendencies (and yes, even their mama’s as well). From anger to fear, jealousy to laziness, wrong friendships to quarreling – verses are marked and tabbed, ready to be quickly located and shared to show what God’s Word says about each of these sin issues.

A couple of drawbacks about the Child Training Bible:
-The total cost to create our Child Training Bible was around $35.00. This seems a little pricey, but I believe that the benefit to our family is going to far outweigh this cost!

CTBSupplies

What you’ll need to create your own Child Training Bible:

– laminated Child Training Bible charts and instructions created by Mindy Dunn ($9.00)
– package of highlighters, coloring crayons, or colored pencils that match the colors on the laminated charts (yellow, dark blue, red, green, purple, light blue, and pink)
– package of coordinating sticky tabs
– 9 by 6 inch Bible of your choice

-I spent around 4 hours locating and highlighting Scripture verses and tabbing pages. Again, in the long run, this is not a lot of time compared to the ability to have this handy tool during times of instruction. Also, I enjoyed being in God’s Word and reviewing the Scripture verses for myself as I put it all together =)

The many things I like about the Child Training Bible:
-It gets all of us delving into God’s Word to read, hear, and see for ourselves what God desires for us, instructing us using His very Words.

I wholeheartedly agree with Mindy Dunn, creator of the Child Training Bible, when she states…

Whenever there is a problem, I want to train my children to immediately run to the Lord, seek His Words, and allow His truth to saturate the situation.

-I was able to use the charts with the version of the Bible that I desire for our family to use and that I know my children understand best.

– The laminated charts include questions to ask your child as well as a short, sample prayer using Scripture to pray with your child that relates to each behavior.

-Mindy and her husband created a tutorial that shows, step by step, how to assemble the Child Training Bible. Although they do send written instructions, as a visual learner, I do so much better with photos and demonstrations!

– I can easily highlight and tab additional Scripture references that we come across that are fitting for certain discipline areas. I’ve already added verses from the Joyful Heart Tune Charts, highlighting them in the color that most relates to a specific sin area. I am sure there will be others as well!

I plan to leave this out for easy access by all in our family and am prepared to turn it into a well worn treasure – just as God’s Word should be.

Please note that I was not asked to review this product. I am simply sharing a purchased resource that I think will be beneficial for my own family and is in line with my heart for training and instructing our children in His Ways!

Filed Under: Kids' Hearts, The Joy of God's Word

Word Family Resources

April 19, 2012 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) Leave a Comment

Some new Word Family Resources
to correspond with the original Word Family Booklets
are now inside Hubbard’s Cupboard!

Here’s a quick peek!

Word Maker and Sight Word Find

Word Family Match

Word Family Houses and Pictures/Words to Sort

For descriptions of the above activities and free printables
to go along with 14 different short vowel word families,
please visit the Word Family Resources at Hubbard’s Cupboard.

Filed Under: Curriculum We Use, The Joy of Homeschool

Utilizing Printable Booklets (without actually printing them)

April 11, 2012 by Michelle (Joyful Heart) 5 Comments

I follow a homeschool blog by Carisa called 1+1+1=1. If you are a teacher, parent, and/or a homeschooler and have not visited her blog, I urge you to do so. =) Since coming online in 2007, she has regularly created and shared wonderful resources for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners.

As I was browsing blogs in my reader this evening, I came across a post from Carisa called Easy Readers for iPads and Tablets. As I read through her post, I was becoming more and more excited at the idea she was presenting – making PDF booklets available for use on iPads and other devices.

Why would this excite me?

…because Hubbard’s Cupboard has over 50 sight word booklets and 28 word family booklets already in PDF format.

You have always been able to print small black and white versions as well as full size versions of these booklets (many in color) to use at home or in the classroom. Now, piggy backing off of Carisa’s idea, simply download the ‘Teacher Versions’, save them to your device, and you can create a whole bookshelf of emergent readers for your beginning reader to enjoy on your iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc. It saves paper and it’s portable!

My technology loving husband had fun experimenting and here is what it looked like on his devices…

iPad – This was successful! I can’t wait for our newest up and coming reader to test it out. iPad