Heart of Dakota - Little Hands to Heaven

Thursday, May 28, 2009

I ordered it! It has shipped! It should be here any day now!!! It's Little Hands to Heaven the preschool book from Heart of Dakota, a Christ-centered homeschool curriculum that I'm really excited about. I poured over various curriculums for several weeks and found quite a few solid, Biblically based programs that looked like a lot of fun. Everytime I looked at Heart of Dakota's sample lessons, philosophy of education, scope and sequence, and their message board, I felt extremely drawn to it. The author, Carrie Austin, has 11 years of classroom teaching experience. As a former teacher myself, her projects, lesson ideas, and the clear, organized layout of the teacher's manual really speak to me. The best part about it is that all of the lessons are extremely Christ centered. There is no possible way to take Jesus out of this program. You really must see it! Click here to see the first week of Little Hearts for His Glory (ages 5-7). Is there anyway to fast forward the next two years so I can start right now? Can you tell that I'm super, super excited?! :)

Our Wedding Anniversary - 6 Years!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Yesterday we celebrated 6 wonderful years of marriage! I've been reflecting on all that has changed since we said, "I do!": our first jobs after college, the purchase of our first home, a sweet Golden Retriever puppy (now 4 years old and quite mischievous), the miraculous birth of our first daughter, and the birth of our second daughter a little over 2 years later. There are so many beautiful memories that we've shared. Most importantly, I am so blessed to have a husband that loves the Lord and wants Christ to be the center of our relationship and our lives. Jesus is our treasure, our glue, and the One who strengthens our marriage vows day after day. The inscription inside my husband's ring is so true. Psalm 127:1: "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." I'm so thankful for the work that God has done and will continue to do as we journey together to love and serve Him more. Happy anniversary hunny!

Do you have 55 minutes?

Saturday, May 23, 2009

If you have 55 minutes... preferably all in a row, but chunks of time will work too... you must watch this video. It is a testimony by Rachel who is a beautiful wife and mom dying of cancer. Her presentation is called Death is Not Dying: a faith that saves. You'll no doubt need tissues to get through the sadness of her story, but her trust in Jesus shines through the darkness of her situation and leaves us all with a hope that can only be found in Him.

Answer to Prayer

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Shortly after deciding to go out of business (read why here), I began to pray that God would take care of the details. Specifically, I had about 150 products in my Etsy shop, the Purple Pear, that I wanted to sell quickly. The sales have been steadily coming in, and each one is another tiny confirmation that I'm doing the right thing. Yesterday, a HUGE answer to prayer happened when a customer requested 40 SETS of marble magnets and 40 tins! If that's not enough, the customer was so sweet and easy going - she even let me choose which sets to ship to her. How wonderful is that? I feel so good about how she is using the magnets too. Her dear Mom passed away from lung cancer several years ago, and each year she has a celebration to keep her memory alive. The magnets and tins are going to be party favors for that beautiful occasion.

Everything in my shop is still an additional 40% off. I have about 20 more magnet sets and beautiful Scrabble and glass tile pendants for only $4.80 and $6.00 respectively. Please spread the word (or stock up on early Christmas gifts yourself) so I can close my shop doors as quickly as possible.

Answer to Prayer

Shortly after deciding to go out of business (read why here), I began to pray that God would take care of the details. Specifically, I had about 150 products in my Etsy shop, the Purple Pear, that I wanted to sell quickly. The sales have been steadily coming in, and each one is another tiny confirmation that I'm doing the right thing. Yesterday, a HUGE answer to prayer happened when a customer requested 40 SETS of marble magnets and 40 tins! If that's not enough, the customer was so sweet and easy going - she even let me choose which sets to ship to her. How wonderful is that? I feel so good about how she is using the magnets too. Her dear Mom passed away from lung cancer several years ago, and each year she has a celebration to keep her memory alive. The magnets and tins are going to be party favors for that beautiful occasion.

Everything in my shop is still an additional 40% off. I have about 20 more magnet sets and beautiful Scrabble and glass tile pendants for only $4.80 and $6.00 respectively. Please spread the word (or stock up on early Christmas gifts yourself) so I can close my shop doors as quickly as possible.

A Little Bit of Randomness...

Monday, May 18, 2009

This week I learned a few things...

1. Placing a gorgeous pot of pink daisies on the seat of the car next to an 11 month old = half plucked daisies in a "he-loves-me" "he-loves-me-not" fashion.

2. Chubby pencils really do help little fingers and developing fine motor skills! Hooray! She was holding a pencil and smiling at the same time!

3. My preschooler can be SO independent at times that merely demonstrating how to do a craft on her paper results in Craft Wars. Tears. Tantrums. An unhappy child and Mommy. An unfinished craft. Out of desperation, I started praying about what I could do in these situations. During that very prayer, the idea came to me. If I make my own craft and do all of the demonstrating on my example, things go very smoothly and happily along. I still get to tell her the directions, she still gets to do it herself, and everyone is happy. God cares about the small stuff.
4. I really need to rely on the Lord about the way I spend my time. I recently decided to close my Etsy shop, the Purple Pear, so I could gain more time for God and my family. Yet little things... different things... are creeping into my life and stealing my time (blogging, curriculum researching). I need to keep these things in check. I desire to want to keep these things in check.

I'm a pretty good person... NOT!

Friday, May 15, 2009

If you asked me 10 years ago, I would've told you that I was a pretty good person... I never got into trouble, I hung around with the good kids, stayed away from parties, and did well in school. Since then the light of Scripture has gradually opened the shades of my heart to reveal all the dust (sin) flying around that I never saw before. In fact, I don't think I can last 60 seconds without doing or thinking something sinful. It sounds like a reason to despair right? Not exactly... but keep on reading. :)

Let's just consider one sin area for a moment. One small five letter word: pride. Our Women's Bible Study has been working through an AWESOME book called Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom. The following comes from the humility chapter (sounds like fun, right?). I'm going to go easy on you and only include 15 of the 30 points she has. You'll quickly get the point. :)

Proud people...
*focus on the failures of others

*have a critical, fault-finding spirit

*are self-righteous

*have an independent, self-sufficient spirit

*have to prove they are right

*claim rights; have a demanding spirit

*are self-protective of their time, their rights, and their reputation

*desire to be served

*desire to make a name for themselves

*desire self-advancement

*have a drive to be recognized and appreciated

*are self-conscious

*keep others at arms' length

*are overly concerned with what others think

*have a hard time saying, "I was wrong; will you please forgive me?"

Ouch! That's a pretty convicting list and I can see myself all over it. If you're a believer, do you sometimes find it hard to rest in God's promises and not feel the burden of trying to "be better" and "do better" by your own strength? I constantly need to remind myself of His grace and Christ's finished work on the cross. His blood is enough to cover all of my sins past, present, and future. I want to please Him because I love Him so much, but I know that I can only change through the Holy Spirit and by His grace. He miraculously still accepts me...baggage and all...because I am washed clean by Jesus' blood. How beautiful is that?

Romans 8:1-5

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Curricul...umm

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I have a new addiction: researching homeschool curricula! The amount of options out there is truly dizzying! I love, love, love researching it though and I've been having a lot of fun doing so. I've been getting together with some friends to look at what they use - a tremendous help. It can be difficult to get a good feel for something online. I'm always glad when a publisher includes sample pages from the teacher's manual and student books on their website. Choosing a curriculum is such a personal decision for each family... but I'm still curious... what do you use? What elements of it do you like? dislike?

I want something with a Christ centered focus throughout. Strangely, I'm finding out that some "Christian" curriculums hardly ever mention God. I also want something that has a good balance academically - not too gentle, yet not too overwhelming or fast paced. As far as style goes, I don't see myself fitting perfectly into any of the boxes (Charlotte Mason, classical, etc). It looks like I'll be an eclectic Mommy... pulling the best ideas from a variety of sources. I'm not the unschooling type, but I also don't like a rigid schedule. I'll most likely schedule a daily flow with a particular order of events... a daily routine that respects the clock but isn't ruled by it. I know flexibility is key when juggling little ones in the mix (and we know we want at least one more... NOT YET though)!

So, please comment away! Thoughts, ideas, advice, or links are very appreciated!

P.S. I'm not looking for a preschool curriculum... I'm asking about elementary and beyond.

Insect Lore Ladybug Land

Monday, May 11, 2009

We officially LOVE Insect Lore! Last year, we watched amazed as our caterpillars transformed into butterflies. This year, we purchased Ladybug Land - a huge hit with my 3 year old. It was fascinating to watch our tiny larvae turn into pupas. When the adult ladybugs eventually emerged from their shells, we were right there to see it all unfold before our eyes. (Did you know that ladybugs go through metamorphosis? I never did until now!) Everything was very easy to set up and they were a cinch to take care of. They enjoyed a few drops of water every other day and a few raisins once they emerged. Here are some photos of our release ceremony. I wonder what kind of kit we'll purchase next... although I have a pretty good feeling it won't be anything that needs to be fed live bugs!

Praying that her ladybugs would find their families and be safe. :)

Everything Is Sacred

Thursday, May 7, 2009

When everything seems to pile up, this song makes me kick up my heels in the midst of my laundry piles. And the "wake up little sleeper" part always makes me cry (and I'm not really the weepy type)! *sigh* It has all the elements of a great Mom song. Click here to listen to the song as you read the lyrics!

This house is a good mess.

It’s the proof of life.

No way would I trade jobs,

but it don’t pay overtime.

I’ll get to the laundry.

I don’t know when.

I’m saying a prayer tonight

cause tomorrow it starts again.

Could it be that everything is sacred?

and all this time

everything I’ve dreamed of

has been right before my eyes.

The children are sleeping,

but they’re running through my mind.

The sun makes them happy

and the music makes them unwind.

My cup runneth over

and I worry about the stain.

Teach me to run to You like they run to me for every little thing.

When I forget to drink from you,

I can feel the banks harden.

Lord, make me like a stream to feed the garden.

Wake up, little sleeper.

The Lord, God Almighty

made your Mama keeper

so rise and shine rise and shine cause...

Everything is sacred

and all this time

Everything I’ve dreamed of

has been right before my eyes.

The Purple Pear: Closing my Etsy Shop Doors

Friday, May 1, 2009

I'm excited to announce that I'll be closing the doors of my Etsy shop, The Purple Pear. I never thought that I would be SO excited to say such a thing. I love my Etsy shop. I love crafting. I still get excited every time I get an "Etsy Transaction" email. However...

For a long time, through prayer, I've sensed that God wanted me to give up this area of my life. I simply didn't want to let it go. I tried "fixing" things by spending less time on it, and stuffing it into its proper place in my life, but it kept creeping back in as a distraction and, let me not mince words, as an idol before the Lord. Over and over again, I would choose to spend my free time on Etsy instead of in the Word or on my knees in prayer. I have two young children, and this season of life is a busy one. Free time is precious because it is rare. Do I want to spend that fleeting time on something that will fade away or on something with eternal value?

Perhaps one day, in a different season of life, I will reopen the doors to my shop. For now, I am enjoying the fruits of my long overdue obedience: a burden lifted, priorities renewed, and spiritual growth. Did I mention that I'm excited? Though He is taking something away, I clearly felt Him say that He has so much more in store for me.

Major going-out-of-business sales are beginning this week! Pop in and pass it on. :) I'd love to get rid of everything if possible.

~Catherine

P.S. DaisyBows will still be around. I share the workload with 3 other friends and... as Sara said... it's really not about the bows. :)

The Purple Pear: Closing my Etsy Shop Doors

I'm excited to announce that I'll be closing the doors of my Etsy shop, The Purple Pear. I never thought that I would be SO excited to say such a thing. I love my Etsy shop. I love crafting. I still get excited every time I get an "Etsy Transaction" email. However...

For a long time, through prayer, I've sensed that God wanted me to give up this area of my life. I simply didn't want to let it go. I tried "fixing" things by spending less time on it, and stuffing it into its proper place in my life, but it kept creeping back in as a distraction and, let me not mince words, as an idol before the Lord. Over and over again, I would choose to spend my free time on Etsy instead of in the Word or on my knees in prayer. I have two young children, and this season of life is a busy one. Free time is precious because it is rare. Do I want to spend that fleeting time on something that will fade away or on something with eternal value?

Perhaps one day, in a different season of life, I will reopen the doors to my shop. For now, I am enjoying the fruits of my long overdue obedience: a burden lifted, priorities renewed, and spiritual growth. Did I mention that I'm excited? Though He is taking something away, I clearly felt Him say that He has so much more in store for me.

Major going-out-of-business sales are beginning this week! Pop in and pass it on. :) I'd love to get rid of everything if possible.

~Catherine

P.S. DaisyBows will still be around. I share the workload with 3 other friends and... as Sara said... it's really not about the bows. :)