One Thing is Needful, Choosing the Good Part of Life

As we begin a New Year, I'm not big on making resolutions, per se. However, I do love a fresh start and setting goals!  As I reflected on this past year and planning the next, there was one thing that I knew I wanted to do this upcoming year - spend more time at His feet. The Bible account of Mary and Martha is one I can relate to all too well.

I am Queen Martha. I THRIVE on planning and doing. If I was completely honest, I often plan and do so much that I, just like Martha, miss the good part! 

But one thing is needful:  and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."  Luke 10:42

This year my goal is to remember what is truly needful and then choose the good part!  Spend more time at His feet and less time being anxious and overwhelmed.

Sounds great in theory but what does sitting at His feet actually look like today? Well, I started digging into God's word a few weeks ago to find out and ending up creating a Bible Study for our GMG group and thought I'd share it with y'all! It's 8 weeks long and uses my favorite method of studying, the SOAP method. 

We will spend the first week studying out Mary and Martha. Then we will spend the next 6 weeks looking at the most important areas of our lives: Our relationship with Christ, Church, Family, Friends/Community, our Home, and our Health. Then we will end with a reflection week, applying what we've learned and seeing what sitting at His feet actually looks like in our lives today! 

You have two options with the study. You can print out the first page and use it along with a notebook to SOAP; or you can print out all the pages and stick them in a binder for a complete journal (approximately 86 pages) to use. 

Each week contains the following:

1. Bible Memory Verse
2. One Thing is Needful section - The first 10 minutes of your 10 spent at His feet focusing on a specific area of your life.  Seeking his will, encouragement, direction, and peace for your life!
3. Choosing the Good Part - This is where we are intentional and apply it to our daily lives.
4. Five days of scripture, along with SOAP pages if you choose to use them.  
5. A blog post to go along with each week to keep us accountable (OK-mainly to keep me accountable).

If you'd like to join us for this study, here's what you need to do:

• Just comment below with your e-mail and I'll send you the file containing the Reading plan and SOAP journal. 
• One you receive the email, print out your choice of either the one page Quick Sheet and grab a notebook to write out your SOAPS; or go ahead and print out all the pages to write out your SOAPS.  Just depends on how much ink and paper you want to use!  I love to print mine out and put in a three ring binder.
• Grab an accountability partner.  I LOVE my GMG group.  We check in with each other everyday on FB.  Sometimes it's a long post sharing what God has revealed, other times it's  "Good Morning girls, I read the scripture today!"  So whether you want to send a text, email, call or do it via Facebook find a friend(s) to hold you accountable!  If you don't have anyone else, then feel free to check in here each week at my blog.  I'd love to hear from you!

Can you imagine what a year of spending the first few minutes of each day at His feet would look like?  Trust me, I have!  I see peace, joy, fulfillment, hope, love, and a prosperous New Year!!  So my New Year's challenge to you is to start tomorrow at His feet!  While you're there please pray for this upcoming study and then join us on Monday! 

 

Journey to Bethlehem

It was over 2000 years ago and a census had been ordered by emperor Caesar Augustus. Everyone was to return to their home city to be taxed. For some, maybe this wasn't a big deal. It may have even meant a joyous journey back home to visit family. But there was one young lady, a virgin, on the verge of having a baby, that was about to make a journey of her lifetime. This journey would forever change her. She was on her way to become the mother of the King of Kings.

It wasn't going to be an easy journey. It would be approximately 80-90 miles through some rough territory. Rough in more ways than one - terrain, weather, wild animals, and possibly even thieves along the way. It wasn't going to be a quick journey either. From what I've read, a normal person would travel around 20 miles a day but with Mary being so pregnant they may have went slower and it probably took anywhere from 4-9 days. There are two possible routes they may have taken. One was a trade route which went through Samaria and would have been more physically demanding because of the many hills. It also would've been more dangerous because of the social relationship between the Jews and Samaritans. It is more likely they took the second route, which was a little longer, but also flatter and went through the Jordan River Valley. However, still near the end of this route, they would have had to travel the Jericho Road or the "Way of Blood" as it was referred because of the dangers of robbers. (This is the same road referred to in the Parable of the Good Samaritan). Not only was it dangerous, but it was steep too, ascending 3,500 feet over 16 miles.

As someone who's been pregnant three times, I can't imagine preparing for a long, dangerous trip on foot just a short time before delivery. In fact, I would have been just the opposite-wanting to stay closer to home, to what was familiar to me, and near my doctors (or perhaps midwife for Mary). I also would have feared for the life of my child, considering all the dangers that lay ahead of them on the journey. I can imagine how anxious I would be. I would have began to question, "Lord, why didn't you just choose someone already in Bethlehem? I mean, you've known since the beginning of time where you wanted your Son born. Don't you think that would have been easier?"

However, God didn't choose Mary just because she was in the right place at the right time. He didn't choose her because of her social status or great riches and He certainly didn't choose her because it was going to be easy for her. Mary was chosen because she was ready and willing. We can see that in her response to the angel Gabriel's message:

"And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." (Luke 1:38)

Now there may have been moments Mary wondered and maybe she too even had a few doubts. But I believe God used this journey to prepare her for what was ahead. This was a journey of faith for her. A time where she had to trust and depend on Him more than ever before. Her faith was stronger than any doubts and because of that she didn't miss out on her greatest life accomplishment-being the mother of Christ.

Perhaps you find yourself this Christmas season questioning why God has you in a certain place in your life or feeling like what He has asked you to do is near impossible. Guess what? So is a young virgin girl having a baby. We're not here just by mere chance. God has a journey for us too. 

The good news is, there can be purpose and joy in your journey. No matter how rough or tough it may seem at times, God can still be with us. God can still use US! However, it takes some faith on our part. We, like Mary, must fully surrender to Him.

I can see Mary as she traveled to Bethlehem maybe a cold rain started coming, or she looked ahead and saw someone questionable in their path. Instead of living in fear, she continued to press forward praying and praising Jesus just as she did when she visited with her cousin Elizabeth. Her soul continuing to magnify Him. 

This Christmas season and throughout the new year, it is my hope that I too can be more like Mary. "Look at me Lord, I'm here. Take my life and use it for your glory. Allow me to be just a small part of your story!"

Praying this Christmas season, you find joy in your own journey.

LOTW: B is for Butterfly and C is for Caterpillar

Ok - so I'm a little behind blogging on our 3k but in real life we are keeping up and that's what's important, right??!!  We're about to start week 6 on the letter F but here's a little recap on weeks 2 and 3. (In case you missed my first post, unless otherwise linked we are using the Letter of the Curriculum.)

Week Two:

 Letter:  B is for Butterflies
 Number: 2
 Shape:  Triangle


 Table Time:

-placed cubes on and laced our "B" lacing cards.

-Butterfly Coloring Page

-Made a "B" collage with buttons

 

  

 -Butterfly Cut & Paste

-Butterfly Pre-Writing

 -Butterfly cutting practice

-Practiced the number 2 with shaving cream and then our marker boards using the rhyme "Around and back on the railroad track." They LOVED this one!

- Made triangles using popsicle sticks

 Tray Time:
-Letter "B" do-a-dot

-Alpha Pattern Blocks
 -Big B little b sort

 -Butterfly Magnetic Page

-Butterfly Counting Practice - we used beans as counters

 -Butterfly Letter Match

 Snacks:
Brownies, Bananas,

Books:

 Songs:
Days of the Week
If I were a Butterfly

Technology:
Starfall ABC App-Letter "B"
Elmo ABC App-Letter "B"

Also, played with balloons, balls, bubbles, and babies.

 Field Trip:  This really had nothing to do with the letter b or anything we'd studied but since summer was coming to a close we went to the splash pad one more time!

 For more letter B activities check out my B is for Big Boat post.

Week Three:

 Letter:  C is for Caterpillars
 Number: 3
 Shape:  Star

 Table Time:

-placed cubes on and laced our "C" lacing cards.

- Caterpillar Coloring Page

-Made a "C" collage with cotton balls


 -Caterpillar Cut & Paste

-Caterpillar Pre-Writing

 -Practiced the number 3 with play-dough and then our marker boards using the rhyme "Around the tree, Around the tree, that's the way to make a 3!"

 Tray Time:
-Letter "C" do-a-dot & Magnetic pages

-Alpha Pattern Blocks
 -Very Hungry Caterpillar Tray - book, sequencing activity

 -Caterpillar Counting Practice- we used coins as counters

- Caterpillar Graphing

 -Caterpillar Letter Match

 Snacks:
Cookies, cupcakes

Books:

We mostly focused on these three this week:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Chicka Chicka 1-2-3 by Bill Martin, Jr.

 Songs:

Days of the Week
If I were a Butterfly

Technology:
Starfall ABC App-Letter "C"
Elmo ABC App-Letter "C"

Also, played cars using a letter C for our road.

 Field Trip:  We went to a local camp and had cupcakes!

 For more letter C activities check out my previous post- Tot School:  C is for Colorful Coat.
F

My Marriage is a Cliche

Photo Credit

 

Wow-  how fast a decade goes by!!!  I can't believe 10 years ago today was my wedding day. I've always heard the cliché:

"I love my spouse more today than when I married them."

And today as I reflect back over our marriage that is exactly how I feel.  We've been so many places together (Louisiana, Texas, Hawaii, Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Florida, Cancun, and Tennessee) and went through so much together-4 homes/moves, deaths of close grandparents, and births of our two girls-to name a few.  Everything we've been through has brought us closer together and made me fall even more in love with the man I married.  I supported him while he lived out his career for awhile and now he has made my dream come true of being a stay-at-home Mom.

Sure, we've had our disagreements (and there was that one time I locked him out of the house :) but I can honestly say I've never wanted out of our marriage.  Others may say communication is the key to marriage, I say it's commitment.

Even as I sit here typing this I'm at the place where:

• We first met
• First kissed
• Broke up - he told me we would get back together because God had already let him know I was the one he was going to marry-which of course, just made me even madder!
• He proposed

Now here we are with our two girls and another little one on the way in the same place...

I love looking back and seeing how God has written our love story!! The song sung at our wedding was "I Could Not Ask For More" and that has fit our marriage.  Especially now looking back,  I know that in a husband and in a marriage - I couldn't ask for more.

Using that song, I've put together a little video of just a few moments from the past ten years.  I literally did this in a couple hours with the pictures I had on hand and there's a typo or two (Yikes!) but I thought I'd share it anyway.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years hold- including the birth of our son!

A is for Apple

Our first week of 3K was a success!  They've grown so much from our first year of Tot School to now. 

We are using LOTW from Confessions of a Homeschooler and unless otherwise noted or linked that is where we got our activities.  We learned about the letter "A", number 1 and circle.  Here's some of the things we did:

Table Time:

• Placed cubes on and laced our "A" lacing cards.
  
• Apple Coloring Page
• Made an "A" collage with apple stickers
• Apple Cut & Paste
• Apple Pre-Writing
• Traced circles and colored red
• Big A, little a sort
• Apple cutting practice
• Practiced the number 1 with play-doh and our marker boards using the rhyme "A line straight down and then you're done. That's how you make the  #1."
  
• Made circles with cups

Tray Time:

• Letter "A" do-a-dot

  

  Tray Time - "Miss Priss" working on Alpha Pattern Blocks and "Sour Patch" working on Dot Pages.  "Sunshine" right there with them :)

• Alpha Pattern Blocks

  

  One of her favorite trays. 

• Apple Magnetic Page

  

  They both loved the magnet pages.  We used these power magnets.

• Apple Counting Practice- We just used counting chips on the apples.
• Apple Letter Match
  

Snacks:
  applesauce, apples, made apple pies

Making our apple pies

Books:



Songs:
Days of the Week
Monkey and the Alligator by Dr. Jean

Technology:
Starfall ABC App-Letter "A"
Elmo ABC App-Letter "A"

 We also did puzzles and a scavenger hunt around the room for letter As, circles and ones.

Field Trip:

The plan was to take apple pies to their great-grandparents. However, the apple pies weren't quite done in the middle so we left them and just went for a visit. When we got there my grandmother (their great-grandmother) was canning apples so not only did they get to see her canning them but of course they ate a few more too!


For even more letter "A" and apple
Activities check out some of my other blogs:

A is for Apple

Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed

Tot School week 4



"Every thought is a seed.  If you plant crab apples, don't count on harvesting Golden Delicious."
Bill Meyer

Hello 3K!!

The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn. John Lubbock -

There's something about the beginning of the school year that I just LOVE!  Making new schedules, buying school supplies, organizing, etc.  It's such a fresh start-more like a new year to me than New Years.  Anyone else with me? 

Since we've started our 3k I also decided to start back blogging.  I love looking back at what we've done and how much "Miss Priss" has grown.  It's also a great way to make new connections and get some great ideas from other moms.  Here are a few things I thought I'd share about what we are doing in 3K this year.


Our "Curriculum":

 In case you are new here we have been doing Tot School and here is my original post on why I feel this is important and works for us.  I feel that the best way to "educate" your child at a young age is just to spend intentional time with them.  So here we are "Miss Priss" still technically 3 and has 2 more years before starting Kindergarten.  I wanted something that focused more on letters but (as always) still wanted to keep it simple and fun.   Therefore, this year we will be using Letter of the Week by Confessions of a Homeschooler.  So far I'm loving it!  It's well organized yet still flexible and there are SO many activities in which to pick and choose!

While LOTW does include weekly memory verses, we are using Our 24 Family Ways by Clay Clarkson for our Bible verses/character education instead. I love that this has a weekly character trait and family way, daily Bible scriptures and a coloring book!  We usually do our morning devotion Bible time right after breakfast then just review our memory verse and family way during our 3K time.  (Side note:  I also just recently discovered Character Concepts for Preschoolers which looks really great.  It may be something we try in the future.)

Our Schedule:

While almost all of the LOTW course can be downloaded for free, I went ahead and purchased the instant download which comes with lesson plans. Basically my method of teaching is "I do, we do, you do."  So I've made my own all-in-one lesson plan/schedule to reflect this:

We are doing 3K Monday-Wednesday from 9:00-11:00.
 Thursday is our "field trip" day and then Fridays we are using just to review or catch up as we want.  

Here's a brief description of our schedule:

Carpet Time-  We go over the calendar, days of the week, ABCs, counting, colors, and shapes. Then a little 5 minute or so lesson ("I do") on what letter, shape, or number we are focusing on that week.

 Table Time:  This is their guided practice ("we do").   It could be a coloring/tracing sheet, cut/paste activity, art, tactile activity, etc.

Box/Tray Time:  This is their individual ("you do") work.  They usually require little supervision.  Depending on the activity some work better in a tray, some a box!   (Learn more about Tot Trays or Workboxes.) I have 6 tray/boxes a week.  I introduce 2 each day and once they are introduced they can go back and choose which one they want to work on. They can pull the tray/box and take it to any area in our room to work.

Snack/Story:  They eat, I read :)

Music: Monday we sing/dance with CDs, Tuesday they explore some musical "instruments" and Wednesday we come upstairs to the piano and I play, they sing.

Centers/Review:  This time is used to reinforce and review our concept for the day and is usually in a center - technology, blocks, puzzles, reading, art, etc.

This schedule has worked great for us the first week.  It has just enough transitions and movement to keep them on-task yet not bored!

Our Room:
Here is what the main area of our "school room" looks like:

Our carpet time is done in front of the right wall where we have our ABCS, numbers, colors, shapes, calendar, season chart, weather chart, and weekly learning board.  Pretty much all of these are included in the LOTW course.

Here's an up close pic of our Weekly Learning Board.  This is something that just helps keep us on track and is a great visual. It includes our character trait, memory verse, a nursery rhyme/poem, letter, number and shape of the week.

Our Trays/Boxes are stored in the middle of this shelving.  I would love to have some nice shelving from IKEA but this was given to me for free and so I painted it and it serves it's purpose! We also have our Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom tree next to it. 

Behavior Management:

The last thing I wanted to share with you is our behavior management.  Since this is not only our "school room" but also the playroom, I needed to lay some ground rules and distinguish between when we were doing 3K and when we are just downstairs playing!  First of all, the area you see pictured is a part of a larger room and is off-limits unless it is 3K time.  During that time we have our classroom rules or expectations which I found here.

I love these because they are simple, relate to the 5 senses and have pictures!  I also have up a red light and both "Miss Priss" and "Sour Patch" start out each day on green.  First time is just a verbal warning and they move to yellow.  After that they are placed in time-outs. 

That's an overview of our 3K!  Our first week doing letter "A" was very successful and I'll share more about it later!  In the meantime, anyone else using LOTW?  Or maybe even another form of 3K, Tot School, etc?  If so, I'd love to hear about it!

Tot School: Celebrating Dr. Seuss

We spent the first two weeks of March celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday.  I took a book a day and we read the book and did activities based on that book.  Here's a little of what we’ve been doing:

Cat in the Hat:

Decorated a hat for the cat to wear

Saw how many books we could balance:

 

 

 

 

We were almost as good as the cat!  "Sunshine" decided she wanted in on this one too:

Horton Hears a Who:

We mixed black and white paint to make gray.  Then finger-painted white paper gray and used it to create giant ears and a trunk to wear.  I found this activitiy here and just slightly adapted it for our book.

After putting on their ears and trunks,  they acted out Horton Hatches the Egg by seeing who could sit he longest on the egg. 

 

Any guesses who won? :)

Then because “Miss Priss” is ALL into Doc McStuffins right now, Horton also needed a check-up.

 

 

Daisy Head Mayzie:

Daisy Color By Number.  This was our first color-by-number and was very simple.  I just drew it out; however, she loved it and we'll definitely be doing more of these!

 

Role played Daisy with hats and fake daisies

The Lorax:

And my favorite Seuss activitiy this year-making Truffula trees!  I found it here.  First of all we went outside and collected some small sticks. Next, we dipped cotton balls into water with food coloring.

 

 

Then, we painted our sticks different colors. 

 

 

After letting them dry all night we gently fluffed out our cotton balls and attached them to the sticks.  Here's our finished product:

 

 

We also watched The Lorax movie.

Tot Trays: 

This month I’m splitting our Tot Trays into 3 Dr. Suess related trays and 3 Easter trays.  Here are the 3 we’ve been using so far this month:

 

1. Based on There's a Wocket in my Pocket. Grab a handful of letters and/or numbers and place them in the pocket.  Then you pull them out one at a time identifying them.  We also placed letters/numbers in the pocket by color.  One activity I saw used a small and large pocket and you could sort upper/lower case letters.

 

 

      2.   Based on Green Eggs and Ham.  I took several of our green Easter eggs and wrote or used stickers to put different items on the egg pieces.  I used upper/lower case letters, color dots, and shapes. She then matched them up.  This probably would have been much more challenging if our green eggs hadn't been so different!

 

 

       

 

           3.   Based on the book One Fish, Two Fish.   She sorted colored goldfish and placed them on a chart.  Then counted how many of each color.  We also talked about which color in which she had the most and least.  There's also another mat with numbers inside goldfish bowls.  We haven't done this one yet but will by the end of the month.

 

 

 

 

Tot Notebooks:

 

To be honest, I never got around to printing out our Dr. Suess pages.  However, I did find a Seuss Preschool Pack here.
 "Miss Priss" still had several pages she hadn't done from last month so our Tot Notebook hasn't changed.

 

 

If you'd like to see what we did last year for Dr. Seuss' birthday check out this. You can also check out my March Tot School Pinterest Board for more Seuss ideas and for some Easter ideas.  We're going to start doing Easter on Monday!