Did You Succeed?
December 27, 2017
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Hey Mama,
Only four days until the new year . . . can you believe it? But what about the current year? Was today hard, difficult? We just have "those days" sometimes. Maybe this year was filled with them. Too many. Too hard. You belong to the Mama Club, and it's not easy. Struggles abound. Stress is a beast. And then things start to look up, only to crash a few days later. It’s a bit of a cycle, isn’t it?
You just want the joy to stay longer . . .
Life as a Christian—lots of trials and tests. Pain alongside the joy. Sometimes, no joy. This life has plenty of trouble. And when “those days” hit, it’s so overwhelming you just feel all done. Stick a fork in me and call it a month. SO done. You start to wonder if you’ll ever get past it . . . has anything you've done this year actually made any kind of difference?
Take heart, Mama, you made a difference, more than you know. Know why? Because God’s got your back. He always has. If you don’t believe me (or just really need a good reminder) read these articles from
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine
:
And remember, Mama . . .
You have a 100% success rate in getting past the hard days. Things do get better. And in the midst of it all, your character continues to build because your perseverance and endurance despite the pain and weariness produce godliness—drawing you ever closer to Christ. He will never leave us. He sees, He knows, and there truly is a plan. None of this is random. But you have learned that, faithful Mama, haven’t you?
You know . . .
Guess what else? When your daughter or daughter-in-law someday has one of “those days,” or a seemingly-never-ending slew of them—you will know exactly how to minister to her. When in her heart it feels “over,” you can put your arms around her and show her that she actually has a 100% success rate in getting past the bad and into the joy again. Just like you have, Mama.
God takes care of it all. He did it for you when you were a young mom, and He will do it for her now when she is dealing with a household, family, and all the trials of life that will come her way.
She has you.
Don’t forget that. That day is coming; so prepare. Look up. His hand is on your head tonight. And your future is GOOD. The Author of Goodness says so.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
See? The Author says so. Put a fork in that! :-)
-gena
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Expectations and results don’t always equate, especially as it applies to raising and educating children. Life has a strange habit of intruding into our best laid plans often devastating our expectations and consequentlyly upending our results. This is not always a bad thing.
Home education is not merely about measuring milestones by working through curriculum, marking papers, and regurgitating facts verbatim. It has at its core the goal to instruct children to navigate the variances of life within a Biblical framework. No textbook can prepare children on how to handle one parent with cancer, the second parent surviving the ravages of multiple seizures, or the death of a beloved grandparent.
Looking back, I can safely say that many of our “textbook” expectations had to be shelved temporarily. Was that a failure? Absolutely not! It was, however, a resounding success in teaching our children the wonder of a
sovereign God
Who holds all our lives in
His merciful hands
.
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Katharina, Katharina
The Life of Katharina Schütz Zell
By Christine Farenhorst
Special homeschool price $17.00
Call 1-800-563-3529
(quantity discounts available)
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Merry Christmas from
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine
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Free and clear, no credit card needed, nothing to buy ever again: The Old Schoolhouse® has a free GIFT for you. You get all 18 Curiosity Files (weird science unit studies for elem and middle schoolers) and all 12 WannBes (unit studies about careers). FREE!
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FREE
Share this newsletter with a friend, and be sure to let those
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Did you know? Every class is INCLUDED for members!
No limits.
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Whether you are struggling with day-to-day chaos or just trying to find the pencil sharpener, the resources on
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
can help. We have planners, recordkeeping systems, lesson plans, checklists, ebooks, and more, all designed to help you discover what works for your family and make the best use of the materials you have available. All our organizational resources are included in your
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
membership; so don’t delay! Come check it out and let us help you start the new year on the right foot.
If you’re homeschooling and are not a member of
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
, come give us a try. You can try the entire site for 30 days for $5. If you’d like to learn more or would like information concerning membership, please visit
SchoolhouseTeachers.com
and chat with us. And if you or someone you know would be interested in teaching or writing for us, let us know. You can email me at
bhudson@TheOldSchoolhouse.com
. We look forward to serving you and your family!
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in the latest issue of
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.
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Contest Corner
For the month of December
This amazing set includes four Lamplighter books!
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This was our first time reading a book from Lamplighter and I have to say we are both very pleased. I love books and I have rooms filled with them. But, these are not just books; they are like little treasures preserved in time for all to enjoy. Not only are Lamplighter books visually stunning, but they are edited within a Biblical framework to ensure that every single story not only lines up with the character of God, but also provides key scriptures to seal these traits in your heart.
The Golden Thread
, written by Norman Macleod, is a story written in 1861. I love the font, the style and the art peppered throughout the book. The story is set deep in a dark dangerous forest where a King rules over his Kingdom. The King prepares his son, Prince Phillip for the most difficult test of his life. At first my son, Kaden, was reading this book on his own, but it was so exciting he didn't want me to miss out on all the adventure. The story is filled with so much detail it is easy to slip away into the story with Prince Phillip. (
Read the rest of the review.
)
The original tale of the king’s gardener, James, and his 15-year-old daughter Mary, was published in German in 1823 by Christoph von Schmid.
The Basket of Flowers
has been translated into English and has now been rewritten by Mark Hamby. Recommended for ages 9-14,
The Basket of Flowers
was ideal for my 12-year-old. Lamplighter Publishing now offers this 234-page hardcover collector’s format for $20.
Mary loses her mother at a young age and has been brought up by her father James. James is a wise and godly man who has taught Mary much about her Creator and King and what He requires of her, using flowers from his work as a gardener as an example often. Mary befriends Countess Amelia, who then gifts Mary with her clothing as she outgrows them. Juliette, lady’s maid to Amelia, becomes jealous and accuses Mary of stealing a ring from Amelia’s mother. Mary is taken to prison, beaten, and accused falsely. The story chronicles Mary’s struggles as she chooses to do right things in spite of her trials. (
Read the rest of the review.
)
Are you looking for a fun way to teach your child the character traits of honesty, perseverance, and industriousness? Do your children love reading or being read to?
Basil; Or, Honesty and Industry
by Charlotte O’Brien is a great book from Lamplighters Publishing that would help your child learn these traits while enjoying a great story!
This book, like the other books from Lamplighters Publishing, is a reproduction of the original that was written around 1856. The story itself is written almost exactly as it would have been in the 1800s, with little alterations. While this may seem hard to read and/or understand at first, by the time you are done with this wonderful book, you will not notice the writing at all!
We follow Basil as he learns about prayer. He is a poor boy with a rough home life. His mother was too busy with the children and had no time for learning about religion. A few kind words given to Basil from Squire Hamilton—"to pray to God to act honestly and industriously in whatever situation”—give Basil just what he needs. These kind words start a journey for Basil that all people should go on. (
Read the rest of the review.
)
“There’s two things as always come to the top: one’s merit—t’other’s scum.” That’s the driving wisdom behind
Rising to the Top
by Mary E. Ropes, part of the Lamplighter Rare Collector Series. Why do the wicked seem to succeed, while bad things happen to good people? The author has faith that, in the end, justice will prevail, and one’s true character will be revealed.
First published in 1887,
Rising to the Top
tells the story of thirteen-year-old Bob Martin as he tries to build a life for himself after he is left an orphan. He takes a place as a servant in a wealthy home, where he learns that doing what’s right is not always easy, and that the deceitfulness of others can make one’s life difficult. In the end, of course, true character rises to the top, and both Bob’s “merit” and his enemy’s “scum” are revealed and rewarded appropriately. (
Read the rest of the review.
)
YOU can WIN all FOUR books for your homeschool!
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Dunwoody, GA
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