A Day at the Arboretum

My favorite days are the days that the four of us can get out of the house and enjoy God's creation together. We have a couple of parks that are our favorites and they never cease to amaze us.

It's such a relief to get away from our chores, our work, our computer, TV, video games, cell phones, etc. and reconnect with God and each other.

We love exploring together and learning more about God's world. You never know what you'll find when you take the time to look.

May you too have a day full of wonder, exploring and love!

The Perfect Balance of Structure and Liberty

Braveheart, Liberty Memorial and the WWI Museum, Lines and Angles, Braiding, Daniel 1, The Hobbit, Adventures in Odyssey, Drawing, Petz Rescue Wildlife Vet for Wii, Roman Numerals, Church Planting, Skateboarding, The Phonetic Zoo, Cooking and Cleaning, Music Ministry, Christmas Crafting, The Way Things Work...

These are some of the things that have filled our homeschooling days lately. I love the rhythm and freedom in our learning this year. It turns out that for me having a basic plan for the year of learning provides the perfect balance of structure and liberty. I have no worries about whether or not they're learning the things they "should be" AND we have lots and lots of time to explore the world on our own time too!

6 Month Missions Challenge for Kids (and adults too!)

I recently retired from teaching missions at church but still want to incorporate it into our lives here at home. So I came up with an idea that I thought I'd share here with you so that those who are interested can join in the fun!

First find a photo of a missionary or missionary family that you'd like to "adopt" for the next six months and put it in a place that will remind you to pray for them regularly.

Then follow these suggestions or make up your own challenge...

August-write a short letter to your missionary family and let them know who you are and that you've committed to praying for them. Pray that your letter will be an encouragement to them.

September-Save all your change this month (then add some more money into the pot) and donate it to your missionary through your local church (Just write the missionaries name on an envelope and put your donation inside the envelope.) Pray that finances will not be a source of worry for them.

October- Send your missionary a post card that features flowers and/or trees that are native to your area. Pray that they will not be homesick.

November-Send your missionary a SMALL gift for Christmas (such as a card, stickers for kids, seasonal American candy, etc.). Pray that your missionary is successful in sharing the gift of Christ's love with the people they're working with.

December-Send your missionary a "Happy New Year" card and praise the Lord for the hope we have in Christ!

January-Send your missionary a Valentine and pray that Jesus' love would be a their strength and comfort.

A couple of other fun ideas...

Learn to cook a meal that is native to the country your missionary serves in and pray that the people of that country will be well fed and have clean water and that they are also hungry for Jesus.

Learn to say, "hello" in the language most often spoken in your missionaries country, pray that your missionary will be given the right words to witness to those he/she seeks to serve.

If you're on facebook, find out if your missionary has a fb page and if so send he/she a friend request.

Hopefully after 6 months of praying for and sending cards/letters to your missionary you will have established the beginnings of a relationship with them and will desire to continue to keep in touch with them and lift them up to the Lord.

Have fun!