Happy Fall Ya'll

Wanted to share some pictures from our trip to the apple orchard this past weekend.

Serving without serving Loudly

Serving without serving Loudly

God has laid it on my heart about serving others before myself. I can sometimes be a very selfish person. Why can’t I do this? God, don’t you see what I’m needing? Me, Me, ME! We can easily get tangled in this web. Guess what? This is exactly where the devil wants us. He doesn’t want us to do God’s work and serve others. He would rather us satisfy our own selfish needs.

However, I’m realizing more and more it doesn’t matter where God has called you in life, you have a place to serve him! Sometimes as a stay at home mom I have often wondered how can I possibly serve you God inside these walls? My first and most high calling is a wife and mother. I can serve Christ daily by serving my family without a bad attitude, without complaining, I need to give of myself to them with Love as Christ does for me.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many“.- Mark 10:45

It doesn’t matter if you work around different people all day or around the same people all day. You can serve as Christ served. You don’t need the attention or praise from anyone to tell you how great your doing. Your reward comes from your Father in heaven. Sometimes, we can often do “good deeds” with the wrong intention in mind. If your primary goal of why you are doing something isn’t for the Lord and serving him then your work is done in vain.

　
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven“. - Matthew 6:1

I pray daily that I can be a open vessel for Christ to dwell in me. I don’t want to do anything out of selfish ambition. I want to be the hands and feet of our Lord and others to see him working in me. I lay myself aside. So, it doesn’t matter if I’m washing dishes, doing laundry, taking out the trash or even sweeping up lost cheerios. I WILL do it with a joyful heart knowing that even the most simple of things that I AM serving the most high.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others“. -Philippians 2:1-11

Will you join me in serving today?

Planning a first grade reading curriculum/ guest post from Loving Our Journey

Starting To Plan A First Grade Reading Curriculum

Children ages five to six are at an incredible point intheir learning career.  With some basicsof academic skills already under their belt, it is time to support theirconfidence as they really explorereading for meaning and begin to self-reflect.

As a past Literacy Specialist, Special Education, andElementary Education teacher, I share these ten tips to consider in planningfor a first grade reading curriculum.  However, Iam a strong believer that all children learn in different modalities, withdifferent styles, at a different pace.  Achild’s teacher, whether homeschooler, public, or private, knows their studentsneeds best.

Please note this is a guest post written by request for ahomeschooling audience beginning to prepare for a new school season.  These tips, however, suit all childrenregardless of how they are schooled!

1.       Provide areview of kindergarten skills after summertime vacations.  This can be done primarily through gameformat as an engaging review that allows for many skills to be covered.

2.       Encouragereflection early on.  Ask children whatwas easy/hard about learning to read last year. Depending on the child’s own understanding, he or she may not be able toput this into words yet, and that’s okay. It’s a beginning of the reflection process.

3.      Collect baseline data on “basics”.  Use a check off sheet to determine whatletters, sounds, and sight words your child already knows!

4.      Plan goals together:  Show your child examples of skills they willlearn this year and ask what they want to learn about reading.

5.      Gather a variety of trade books in a variety ofgenres.  A used library summer book saleis a great place.  Include expository,narrative, fairy tales, etc.  Take yourchild with you!!

6.      Plan a trip to your local library!  Meet the children’s librarian and ask her fora list or location for top first grade read aloud books.

7.      Explore websites that reinforce skills inadvance.  I highly recommend Starfall,with supervision of course, for phonics practice.

8.      Connect with other reading buddies.  Set up a once a week buddy read to a youngerchild to help promote confidence and reading fluency.

9.      Model reading, reading, reading.  I can write this in every post, every time,and it’s still the best advice in helping raise a reader.

10.  Plan for balance…to read books at higher levelmeans nothing without comprehension, in my professional opinion.   One must have an understanding of phonics toread, but one must understand context to read and create meaning!


Please feel free to leave questions or comments, or list anotherspecific topic regarding schooling that I can explain more in other posts!!  As a new blogger, I am just starting to write about schooling a little!

What tip have youfound most effective in PLANNING for the first grade reading curriculum?  What has worked for you?

Blessings,
Michy


Michyis a Christian Stay At Home mother writing with passion about her loves: faith,parenting, and healthy living.  She is a pastSpecial Education teacher and Elementary Literacy Specialist who
loveslearning.  Please visit her on facebookor at her Loving Our Journey blog where she hosts Faithfully Friday ParentingLinky Party. 

What's on my heart

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.-2 Chronicles 7:14

I have read this verse over and over again in the past year. I have to say it's one of my favorite scriptures.

I love this scripture so much because it's one that God has proven to be true in my family. When my husband and I got married we were not christians. We believed in God, but there is a big difference in believing in God and LIVING for God! Now, we live for God. We know our every breath is God given and at any minute we could no longer have a life on this earth and when we leave this earth where will you go? God wants every bit of us, he doesn't want to be put in a Sunday box. If your living and breathing YOU have a purpose. God took sinners like my husband and I then saved us by HIS grace.  I don't even know where to start about what God has done for our lives since we gave it over to him. We have three beautiful daughters whom I'm able to stay home and homeschool. A Godly husband who is a great example for our family, I teach the four and five year olds in Sunday school at our local church, the list goes on.. I honestly don't know where we would be today if it wasn't for Jesus in our lives.

Yes, he is the God that gives and takes away. This past February, February 16, 2012 I lost my brother in a horrible car accident. I was very close to my brother and he was only 24 years old. I miss him dearly, but I know God has a perfect will for our lives and he can see the plan that I can't see. Through this I have drawn closer to God for his peace and understanding.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

With God we don't have to be afraid of what tomorrow will bring, He is already there. I pray that I can be a help to someone out there searching for that peace and joy that only comes from the Lord. Even if it is only one soul.

Thanks for reading. Blessings!

Let's talk curriculum!

So, my oldest daughter will be starting 1st grade in August, my middle child will be starting K5 and my two year old will also need fun activities to keep her occupied during school hours.

Needing curriculum ideas for my 1st grader and any great websites that has free printables is also a plus. I want to go ahead and get started with my planning now and have a notebook full of printables when the new school year starts back.

With that being said, please share!

Feel free to also share my post. The more tips and suggestions the better!

My three little angels

Wanted to share my three little angels with ya'll.

This is my oldest who is 6 years old and will be starting 1st grade this coming fall.

Wow! 1st grade? Feels like my baby was just born!

She is full of love and has such a giving heart.

This is the middle child who is 4 years old. She will be starting K5 this coming fall.

She is my little ball of energy. She loves to explore and ask lots of questions. Just means she is learning :) She is defintely the momma's girl!

And last, but not least my sweet little 2 year old. She is her Daddy made over! She is learning to talk and loves to do a lot of it! Love watching her learn and if Daddy is around that is where you can find her. :) Big Daddy's girl!

I am so blessed to be able to watch these little ones grow and learn. I love being their mommy, teacher, nurse, etc..

Come Rest

One thing I come to realize is the devil wants to keep us busy.
The laundry is waiting, when is supper? I need to run a few errands. Everyday life is filled with busy, busy, busy. The day comes to a end and you think hmm did I stop and really thank God for today? I didn't even have time for my devotion? Then before we know it life is slipping away and we are falling weaker and weaker. Why? Cause we are not running on HIS strength. We have to stand daily on the word of God and not be defeated. I'm the first one to say "guilty"!

I believe Lindsay McCauls song "Come rest" says it best. God calls us to rest on him and to lay the burdens of everyday life at his feet. He defeated death for us, he laid it all on the cross for us. All he wants is our time, our thanks and to build onto his kingdom.

So, today or as you wake tomorrow rest in him knowing he is just a prayer away and the busy day will come together and you will have HIS strength to make it through.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. -Matthew 11:28-29