tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90123343306696951202024-03-05T12:30:04.886+02:00Back to Ancient WaysDiscover with me God's Will for Wives and MothersLinniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.comBlogger283125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-65497379503821507072015-03-18T22:39:00.000+02:002015-03-19T22:06:22.080+02:00Drawing Pictures with your Mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In February I attended a Valentine’s Ladies’ Conference at a local church with my two daughters. Somewhere during the teaching, the Guest Speaker, visiting South Africa from Germany, mentioned the peace she experienced when walked into the local church’s Pastor’s beautiful study room. I immediately felt a tuck at my heart. My personal little corner I use for Bible study and working on my computer, fervently came to mind… To my shame I has to admit it is currently in such a mess, I cannot find space to open my Bible or computer.</div>
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The Guest Speaker continue her message from Song of Solomon 2. The message, “Come away with me, my Beloved!” was beautifully illustrated with a DVD clip of a young woman following her Beloved hand on hand, through green vines. I experienced the touch of the Spirit when she started to talk about looking with eyes of faith and using my imagination to see things to come, promised to me, by my Beloved.</div>
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During the past few months the Lord constantly spoke to me about the word “imagination”. </h3>
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In the physical realm, nothing can come into existence unless someone ‘saw’ it in their imagination. After receiving a picture in the mind about something, people run to the drawing board, and from their nothing can stop physical manifestation, of the image.</div>
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While listening to the inspiring message that Saturday morning, I saw a picture in my mind of my little corner. Images came to life and I got all excited about things I could change and do, to make it an inspiring, beautiful place where I can fellowship with my Beloved. </div>
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That same afternoon I shared my vision with my husband, especially about something I wanted him to make for me. I also shared with a friend, to keep me accountable. I committed to change my corner into a place of peace and refreshment, before my birthday, only days after. One important point though, I had a shoestring budget to make it happen, thus making it even more exciting to make use of things I already have. </div>
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Now I’m going to interrupt myself for a moment. I’ll come back to My-corner-make-over just now.</div>
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As the Lord revealed to me the beauty of imagination and the manifestation thereof, over the past few months, I experienced an increased hunger to know the Lord through His Word, and meditate on His word. A few years ago I tried memorising scripture through Scripture Typer. I did it on my computer and though I longed to make a commitment to diligently memorise scripture, I didn’t persevere.</div>
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As I hungered to meditate on God’s Word, I came to understand the connection between meditating on the word, the renewing of your mind by the Word and memorising the Word. </div>
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“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what <i>is</i> that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Rom 12:2</div>
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I came to realise as I memorised and meditated on the Word of God, I allowed Him to draw pictures in my mind of His will for my life, according to his Word and then it can come into manifestation!</div>
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Danika our youngest daughter is a very artistic little girl. She started painting on canvass two years ago and at the beginning of this year advanced to oil painting. I’m constantly amazed at how she is gifted to paint pictures with a brush. She just have a feeling for colours and lines.</div>
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In the same way I’m amazed how the Lord can paint pictures in my mind with His Word, as I memorise His Word. Pictures of His goodness and truth, mercy and grace, faith and love. Pictures that make me act in faith and truth. Inspired that I can overcome the world with all its trials and tribulations through the Power of Jesus Christ, my Saviour, who died for me and know lives in me. </div>
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So as I seek ways to memorise Scripture, in order to have more colours to paint pictures of God’s goodness in my mind and I remembered Scripture Typer. I downloaded the Scripture Typer App on my iPhone and seriously started to memorise scripture. This time not because others memorise scripture, but because I need the scriptures in my mind to draw pictures of victory! </div>
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We read in Proverbs 27:3, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” </h3>
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Every where you go, the world is pressing to fill us with worldly believes, mostly contrary to the Word. If one doesn’t deliberately fill one’s mind with God’s Word, the world will fill it with ease. Since I started memorising Scripture I’m amazed how my mind is in the process of being renewed, and how I’m experiencing peace and victory over my thoughts.</div>
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Now to come back to My-corner-make-over. As part of renewing my mind, memorising scripture, I also wanted to surround myself with His Words. One of the first pictures that came to my mind was to have beautifully decorated words against the wall. I want to see them when I wake up in the morning; I want to meditate on them during the day and I want to be reminded by them when the enemy wants to blind me with chaos in my home. I also want pictures of my family for when I give thanks to the Lord and pray for their protection and walk with the Lord.</div>
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So two weekends later I accomplished my goal. My husband made a beautiful frame for my year schedule. I had a ball decorating the words, “Believe” and “Faith”, diving into Heidi-Mari’s inexhaustible source of scrapbook supplies! I also collected photo frames, all had pictures of at least two years ago, from everywhere in the house and replaced them with resent pictures. I hung a rusty cross from the last letter of “Believe”, which I got as a present a year or two ago for my birthday. For this birthday, my oldest daughter gave me a beautiful, inspired word picture on my birthstone, the Amethyst - symbolising royalty and encouraging me in my walk as the daughter of the King. I added a beautiful painting by Danika of bright yellow daffodils, with the cross in the background. And my husband patiently put brackets in the wall and hung my carefully chosen treasures. </div>
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What a delight to now work in this lovely, inspiring place, reminding me of the power of imagination and then acting on those images. </div>
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We all have an imagination…. Who is inspiriting your imagination? Do you allow Godly inspiration to come to life, do you act on them with God’s power in you?</div>
<h3>
Do you want to join me in memorising the Word? </h3>
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It is always easier to persevere when you have others joining you. I’ve created two memorising groups at Scripture Typer. Join me in memorising <a href="https://scripturetyper.com/Group/View/e730a8ccfa/" target="_blank">Proverbs 31</a> and/or <a href="https://scripturetyper.com/Group/View/77ac86f2fe/" target="_blank">Psalm 37</a>.</div>
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Remember: “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.”</div>
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With much love</div>
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Linnie</div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-64469396099050636692015-01-09T16:19:00.000+02:002015-01-09T16:19:06.860+02:00The Year of Delight<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica;">
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">The <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-year-of-rest.html" target="_blank">year 2014, Rest</a>, was a challenging year! </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It was my heart’s desire to get to a point of total trust in the Lord’s grace and love, resting in His provision, and it was exactly what the Lord provided.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I’m in total awe off the journey I’m with the Lord, since I started Naming the Years. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">In 2012 it was the <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/12/year-of-eucharisteo.html" target="_blank">Year of Eucharisteo</a>. Through heartbreaking and joyful events the Lord taught me about thankfulness and walking in thankfulness. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-year-of-charis-grace.html" target="_blank">2013 was Grace</a>… Wow, the Lord overshadowed me with His grace in situations I couldn’t possibly have imagined. </div>
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Then in 2014 I longed to take the next step after experiencing the fruit of thankfulness and tasting the unconditional grace of God - I wanted to rest in Him. I thought with my knowledge of giving thanks in every situation and remembering how the Lord extended His grace, I would be able to enter true rest.</div>
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I knew it will be no easy road. From my previous two years’ experience, I knew that if this word - “Rest” - is from the Lord, He is going to take me on a journey that will teach me how to rest… I will have to prevail through some serious trials and tribulation. </div>
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And so it happened within 6 weeks after I committed myself to “Rest”. Heidi-Mari and I was on our way to the USA middle July and I had to trust the Lord with all the logistics of making it happen. <br />
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I had to rest in Him for finances; for taking care of my family, some small boys staying behind; our family business while I’m away for 19 days; Heidi-Mari and my health while in the USA; and most of all my daughter’s performance at the Archery World Championships and All Star Archery Championships. <br />
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During the exact time we were invited to the USA, CJ had to prepare and write his <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2014/04/homeschooling-cj-end-of-season.html" target="_blank">GED exam</a>. <br />
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We thought he had a couple of months to prepare, but due to circumstances he had to write within 5 weeks. I wish I could say I passed the test of resting in the Lord…. I didn’t. It was once again the Lord’s grace that amazingly let CJ pass His GED exam in the high 90th percentile. </div>
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By now Lord had set the stage for quite an amazing learning curve… He had my full attention and I was living in the constant consciousness that the Lord is teaching me about rest. While preparing for the USA, numerous miracles happened, but also a lot of heartache were experienced. The Lord provided amazingly in certain areas, while things went wrong big time in other. I failed some serious tests of faith. So much so, that when I came back from the USA, end of July, I was filled with questions I never asked before. <br />
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Why would some of my prayers be answered beyond what I could ask for or imagine, and others not at all? I was working so hard in praying and doing all the right things. Pressing froward to trust the Lord and constantly reminding myself to rest. But understanding true rest was still eluding me.</div>
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It was only in September, when I was at my wits end, that I was ready for God’s answer. Christo received a book from a trusted friend and we were introduced to <a href="http://www.awmi.net/" target="_blank">Andrew Womack ministries</a>. Within weeks I read numerous of his <a href="http://www.awmi.net/store/usa/books" target="_blank">books</a>. I seldom finish a book, but this message was different. I finished every single one I picked up. It changed my life dramatically and the truth set me free! I received the truth about His grace, the truth of His love for me, the truth of His power in me through Faith! I thought I have to earn the rest, but I came to understand the rest was already accomplished at Calvary and I only have to receive it. </div>
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It is all about me receiving it! God already gave it to me, but I wasn’t ‘there’ to receive it. I had to renew my mind big time, and am still doing so daily! The results are amazing! And I can through God’s grace proclaim, I came to know true rest in the Lord! I’m at the verge of trusting the Lord for big things!<br />
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And so by the 11th month of 2014, a peace settled in my heart. The Name of my Year, REST, was an awesome learning experience and I’m in expectation for how the Lord is going to take it from here. </div>
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So I started to pray about the Name of 2015… I knew it would expand on the previous names, so I started seeking the Lord to reveal it to me. It was early one morning, while reading Psalm 37, my absolute favourite Psalm in the Bible, that the word jumped out from the pages… For days I was playing with the word in my mind… weighing it as it grew on me… </div>
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This year will be the Year of Delight! </h3>
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It is my heart’s desire to delight myself in the Lord. I want to get rid of everything that entangles me in the world and my flesh, my thoughts and my shortsighted plans. I want to delight myself in the Lord and walk more in the Spirit. But I also want to delight myself in my husband and my children, in homeschooling my children and playing with numbers when taking care of our business finances. </div>
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I want to take thankfulness, experiencing His grace and receiving His rest, as experienced the past three years, to a next level - I have an awesome God, who loves me more than I can imagine. Who paid a price and accomplished everything I will ever need and I want to delight myself in that knowledge. </div>
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In this year of 2015 I’m going to delight myself in the One who is Love, Grace and Rest. Through Faith in His love, grace and rest, I’m going to please my God and get a little closer to His purpose for my life - bringing Him joy!</div>
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With love</div>
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Linnie</div>
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Ps. What is the name of your year? Please share in the comments below.</div>
Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-20675101882492049202014-04-09T22:37:00.000+02:002014-04-09T22:49:17.666+02:00Homeschooling CJ - The End of A Season<div style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">He was only 3 or 4 years old when his Dad suggested we homeschool him. I thought he was out of his mind! Why would any parent in his/her right mind even consider homeschooling? I’m not a qualified teacher, although it was my first choice of occupation, but I was convinced I would mess up my child’s life forever! History now proved that I didn’t mess up his life although the general public, family and friends, may still believe I did.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When CJ was 5 years old Christo and I attended a Walk Thru the Bible conference. By the end of the first day, I had breakfast, lunch and supper with 3 total different parents who homeschool their children… this was weird! We talk about the year 1999. During that time there were only a few hundred homeschooling families in South Africa. What were the chances to meet 3 families - total strangers who homeschool their children, at a “Non-homeschooling conference”?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That evening, while quietly reflecting on the day, in a dormitory with 3 other couples, I had to confess to Christo, and God, I’m NOT at the conference to receive training in presenting the Walk Thru the New Testament Seminar for Children… No, I was here so the Lord could get my attention about Homeschooling…</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Four months later, while I was past my due date with Baby Josua, CJ decided he was not going back to his Preschool. He needed to check on his mother when she was going into labour and after all, he was going to be homeschooled, why bother going back to a classroom, and missing out on real life!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As the saying goes: “The rest is history.” The week his brother Josua was born, we started homeschooling…. The first week was awesome. I would nurse baby Josua to sleep, while CJ was doing simple maths and then we would gather on the sofa, reading books. I could do it…</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The “homeschool-honeymoon” was over within weeks. Baby Josua became more attentive and demanding, Heidi-Mari (only 3years old) needed stimulation too and I didn’t know how to do this homeschooling thing. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was during that time that Martie du Plessis, from <a href="http://www.dynamislearning.co.za/" target="_blank">Dynamis</a> and her, then 13year old daughter Chamonix, visited Cape Town and the Lord miraculously worked behind the scenes that they stayed with us for a few days, before visiting the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town. What I learned about my child and myself during those few days was amazing and we were more on track with homeschooling. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next year brought a heap of challenges. We moved into a small two bedroom house, the garage our storeroom, as well as homeschool room. There was no money for resources, I was isolated and very insecure. It was the year 2000, and I haven’t heard of the internet, let alone google or supporting homeschool Facebook groups…</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Over the next decade our family grew from 5 to 10 and we moved another two times.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My life was dominated with pregnancies and nursing babies. Not an easy task for someone who didn’t plan this kind of life for as long as she could remember. Never in my life had I imagined having a larger family and homeschool them. My extended family didn’t approve either and I was all by myself. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Over the years there was a pattern of ups and downs, success and failures, victory and disappointments. By God’s grace, as my children grew up, I grew up too. There were countless sleepless nights and chaotic days filled with exhaustion, insecurity and doubt in my ability to make homeschooling work. BUT there were also the times when the Lord encouraged me and graciously gave me a peep into the future. The future He was busy bringing together. Often I would fall in a pitt of despair, fearing that I was messing up my children’s lives. Each and every time my dear husband would observe and speak words of peace and confidence, “Everything is going fine; they will be fine.”</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There were the times when CJ won the World Wide Apologia <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2009/07/science-question-of-week-competition.html" target="_blank">Science Question of the Week </a>Competition (<a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2009/11/parcel.html" target="_blank">twice</a>) at the age of 14. </span>Another when he started to do <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/03/cj-stunt-rider.html" target="_blank">horse riding stunts</a> for movies at the age of 16. All of these brought into his life by God’s invention.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As you can imagine many <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/10/choosing-right-homeschooling-curriculum.html" target="_blank">homeschooling curriculums</a> came and had gone over the past 14 years, as homeschooling was becoming more popular. It became quite a maize to decide which curriculum is the ‘best’. It was necessary to be focused; to have a <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/11/it-all-boils-down-too.html" target="_blank">philosophy</a>; to measure the homeschooling currents accordingly and make decisions that would correspond with and support our goals in raising our Children. For us, homeschooling was a <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2010/04/learning-lifestyle.html" target="_blank">learning lifestyle</a>, based on gaining life skills and searching for the calling on each child’s life. Everything else was secondary to this one goal: to guide each child in finding their God-given dream, their purpose in life, and allowing God to show the way to fulfil that purpose.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not much changed over the 14 years we homeschooled CJ. He was our visual learner, and the way we <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/06/beginning-of-our-homeschooling-journey.html" target="_blank">started out homeschooling him</a> in 2000, was the way we homeschooled till the end.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As CJ grew older we were bombarded with questions about high school and what we were going to do for matric - THAT piece of paper you need, to move on to the next level of education. When CJ was 13 years old we earnestly prayed about his future and whether we should pursue a more formal education to receive a matric qualification. Surprisingly the Lord was clear. It was not his will for CJ’s life to change his way of learning up to that point. We gladly accepted the Lord’s guidance and CJ continued with Maths-U-See, LLATL and Science, while participating in real life. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Often his studies would be interrupted by periods of being on set for a movie;</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Helping out in Dad’s health shop; </span>pursuing a new interest like archery<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">or </span>just supporting his larger family in every day life, days of bad health, or the arrival of a new baby.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">CJ gradually came to find his purpose and his future was taking shape. Then at the age of 17 we went through a time of doubt and we considered doing Cambridge. All possibilities was taken in account, but just a few months later, we strongly experienced the Lord calling it off. Again we gladly submitted to the Lord’s will and just went on doing what we were used to. Waiting on the Lord’s next step.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This continued until CJ turned 19 years old in August 2013. He was still working on Algebra 2 and Pre Calculus, Apologia’s Physics and Gold LLATL, but I could sense in CJ a restlessness and lack in motivation. Christo and my prayers became more intense. “Please Lord, show the way, open the doors. CJ needs to move on now.” It was December 2013, when one evening, I went to my son and asked him, “If money was no option, what would you do with your life in 2014?” Without hesitation he answered, “I will start my Private Pilot License!” CJ wanted to be a pilot, but for some reason he held back to pursue his dream. He needed something to push him into the right direction.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Only days after that evening, somewhere between Christmas and New year I woke up with an intense knowing CJ must do GED. Oh, I was following the GED Yahoo groups and some friends’ children was doing it, but why in the world would we consider it? But that morning I woke up with another perspective, why not? As I was pondering the possibility, one thing was clear, I would NOT push my son in doing GED. I will give him the option and all my support, but it would be his decision. That morning at the breakfast table I brought up the subject and asked him if he would consider doing it. To my biggest surprise, his face lit up and without thinking twice he decided to do it!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Instantaneous CJ’s mood and attitude changed! There was new spark in his eyes, he was focused. It was almost like he waited for this all his life and he couldn’t wait to make it happen. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">January 2014 we registered with <a href="http://www.gedtestingservice.com/testers/international" target="_blank">GED testing services</a> and enrolled in the <a href="http://www.passged.co.za/" target="_blank">GED online tutoring</a>. I also downloaded a Free Master the GED pdf file of more than 880 pages. I foresaw him doing the test the end of 2014, giving the year to prepare. CJ was more adventurous and wanted to write the exam middle 2014. He started the second week of January, beginning with the Diagnostic tests in Master the GED. To our surprise CJ scored over 80% in Maths, and Science, 70% in English writing and reading, but just passed the Social Study section. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">CJ was motivated and excited! He now wanted to write in April. I outwardly approved, not wanting to discourage him, but seriously, he needed to be realistic and give himself enough time to prepare… </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">During January and the first two weeks of February, CJ diligently worked a few hours a week on his GED, while continuing with his LLATL, Apologia and Maths-U-See. Then on the 10th of February I got a message from a friend, “Did you hear? The GED test facility in Cape Town is closing down permanently on the 21st of March?” It was such a shock, I first went into denial. For a few hours I just refused to think about it, to investigate or think about the implications… By the time I went to bed, I was in a panic. I couldn’t breathe and I was calling out to God, “What were we going to do!?” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next morning we faced the facts. CJ could still write the exams in Johannesburg, whenever he feels ready. Johannesburg is 1,500 km from here, we could book into a hotel for a week and write the 5 papers over 5 days, and it would cost us quite a few thousand rands! Or, we could bring forward his exams, write it in Cape Town before the 21st of March, giving us less than a month for final preparations, and see how it goes. The latter option where the logical decision, after all we couldn’t lose anything, except the $50 for each paper, should he fail!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was in total confusion! Dear Lord, why is this happening now? Why this pressure? But then, the name of my year is Soul Rest, the Lord knows how I’m prone to delay things under the excuse of perfecting it. Was this just yet another way the Lord is directing CJ’s steps, in spite of the human failures of his Mother? I knew the Lord was up to something big, but oh, my sinful nature threatened to overwhelmed me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For the next 2 and a half weeks CJ studied 5hours plus a day on the five subjects - Maths, Science, Language reading, Language writing and Social Studies. I will lie if I said it was smooth sailing. It was an extreme testing time for me. CJ was focused and enjoyed his learning; I was stressed and panicking. GED is a general knowledge exam. It fits perfectly in our philosophy of homeschooling, it sure would give an exact picture of what we did over the past 14 years and if our approach had worked. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By the 1st of March I was a wreck, but CJ was confident he could do it. Dad took over from here, and would accompany CJ with every paper, driving him two hours in rush hour traffic and wait for him while he wrote the exams. By now I realised I couldn’t do this on my own. I frantically memorised scripture, wrote them on the walls and gathered an amazing group of Prayer Warrior Lady Friends to pray with me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">His first paper was Language Reading and I almost lost it when I got the message he passed on the 86 percentile. I went down on my knees and could only praise the Lord over and over again. In spite all my stress, so much so that I became ill for 24hours on one of the days he wrote, the results came in one by one, with scores in the 96 and 98 percentiles for Science and Maths. The final subject was Social Studies. Though I thought by now I would get the message, the Lord is in control, He is doing a mighty work, it has nothing to do with me, I was more than nervous! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are no words to explain the relief, joy and praises when CJ passed Social Studies in the 90th percentile too. It was over and done! CJ was officially finished with his homeschooling era and a new season was waiting on him! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Lord called us to homeschool him 14 years ago. We obediently did it, in total ignorance, full of doubt and fears, so much aware of our incompetence to make a success of it in ourselves. And this is the beauty of it all to me… This was God’s will for CJ’s life. It was the training CJ needed. It didn’t make sense in our human minds and I can now testify that most of the things CJ learned over the years, the Lord taught to him in his sleep - since that was what I prayed all the months I was exhausted from pregnancy or taking care of babies. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The results of his GED exam too wasn’t out of our effort. CJ literally studied for a month. It was all the Lord’s working - all that years of homeschooling- because we were walking in His will for CJ’s life. The Lord was our eyes when we could not see for 14 years! He gave us a dream, He directed our paths and He brought it all to pass for His glory. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next Sunday CJ celebrated the end of one season and the beginning of another by doing paragliding for the first time. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As my son took off and glided into air, with the wind behind him, I praised the Lord for what He is going to do in my son’s life. The world was waiting on him, a dangerous world, with mountains and deep blue seas. But with the Holy Spirit as the wind to guide Him and the Lord’s wisdom to direct his choices, He will bring God glory! God already proved He is trustworthy with the future of my son!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>according to the power that works in us,</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>to all generations, forever and ever."</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Eph. 3:20-21</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span><br />
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-43559935347217958622014-01-31T08:02:00.001+02:002014-01-31T08:06:21.346+02:00The Pace of the Children<div style="font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 13px; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I was 29 weeks pregnant with CJ, when I got a serious bladder infection. First time pregnant in my third trimester, ignorant of possible dangers and implications of improper attention to a bladder infection, I just believed it would clear itself. During that time I was doing three jobs. Secretary for my husband’s business, mainly responsible for accounts, running my private dietitian practise, and working part time as a Consulting Dietitian at an Infertility Clinic. The Friday morning after I came down with the bladder infection, I visited the infertility clinic to consult a few patients. It was then that my gynaecologist friend spotted me and immediately knew I was seriously ill and the life of my baby was in danger. She immediately contacted Christo and within an hour I was admitted to the maternity ward. That weekend I almost went into premature labour and it was only by the grace of God that I was dismissed a few days later, baby CJ still safe and sound in my womb.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was instructed to stay in bed for another few days. The afternoon, after I was dismissed, I sat in my bed at home, reading my daily reading, Gen 32.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was the passage of Jacob wrestling with God at Peniel, while he was in much distress to meet with his brother Esau, the first time after the betrayal of the first born right. I read through the wrestling part and came to where Jacob met his brother, Esau, followed by the awesome reconciliation between the two brothers. And then I read a passage that in the past I didn’t even think twice about.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Then Esau said, 'Let’s be on our way! I will go in front of you.' But Jacob said to him, 'My lord knows that the children are young, and that I have to look after the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven too hard for even a single day, all the animals will die. Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, <b>at the pace of the herds and the children</b>, until I come to my lord at Seir.'” Gen 33:12-14</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The words just jumped out of the pages. It might be because I was very much confronted with the totally new responsibility I was facing. Taking care of a baby, another very small, little person, not even born yet, even more so depending on me and the decisions I make. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">During that weekend laying in the white hospital room very ill, unaware that they were preparing outside the room for a possible premature labour, I was confronted with the knowing that my life was not my own anymore. In the past I could work hard for long periods of time, pushing myself till I’m exhausted, satisfied with the results, and only then rest. That was exactly what I did the week before. My body was sending me warning signals, but I was determined to first finish what I’m busy with, keep MY pace, no stop till I’m done.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But that afternoon, almost 20 years ago, reading Gen 33:14, I was confronted with the concept of moving at the pace of the children. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Numerous times over the years the Lord has gently reminded me and challenged me with Gen 33:14 </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">“…I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the herds and the children…”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some time ago I got a message from a dear friend, who had her share of exhaustion with many little ones and illnesses, who had to cancel a special occasion. I encouraged her to be gracious on herself and her little ones, not feeling guilty. Her little ones now only needed her to move at their pace, to feel secure and safe. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That weekend, 20 years ago, after reading Gen 33:14 for the first time, I called my husband, shared with him the passage and my conviction and together we made drastic changes. I closed down my private practise and limited my hours as Consultant Dietitian at the Fertility clinic to three times a week for only two hours. It was very hard for me to call my regular clients, informing them I have closed down my practise. Especially with my Type I Diabetic patients who were all between 6 and 12 years old. But it was all worth it. I carried CJ till two days before full term and he was born strong and healthy.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The year 2013 was a difficult year. I got more involved in my husband’s business, while still homeschooling the children and taking care of the home and meals. By the end of the year I was exhausted, but what was troubling, was the state of my little ones. They were crying and fuzzing almost constantly. Sibling rivalry skyrocket. They were disobedient and I could sense anger and frustration. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By the 14th of December Heidi-Mari finished shadowing at the One and Only Hotel in the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront and our home could slow down. I stayed at home every single day over the festive season, giving myself the grace to unwind, but even more to just be there for my little ones, as well as my older children and husband. The festive season was quiet and relaxed, the blessing I was praying it to be.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But it was only by the first few days of January that I become aware of the peace in my home and between my little ones. I was the Queen of my home again. I wasn’t overwhelmed with the little ones any more. I was able to restore order again and confidently handle sibling rivalry. I noticed the four boys playing together in peaceful harmony more often, entertaining themselves and overall more content. They were safe and secure again.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Being the mother of my larger family was a joy and I was reminded of Gen 33.14. </span></div>
<h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Moving at the pace of the little ones. </span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Especially with older children who help in and around the house, I have to remind myself to move at the pace of the little children. Interesting it isn’t only for the benefit of the little children, but also for the older children, my husband and…. myself. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Over the years Ann Voskamp’s words, “Life isn’t an emergency”, became part of my life, but did I really live by it? </span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">With the first month of 2014 over and done, I’m challenged to plan for a restful year. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of my <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/01/your-care-guide-25-point-manifesto-for-sanity-in-2013/" target="_blank">25 manifestos for the year</a> is: </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Watch Your No's, Your Yeses will take Care of Themselves.” </span></h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m constantly aware to secure my days, my weeks; to not allow them to be filled to the brim.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The name of my year is “<a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-year-of-rest.html" target="_blank">Rest</a>”. I believe part of God’s plan for me to rest, is for me to be IN my home and move at the pace of the little ones.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want to share Nancy Campbell’s Above Rubies FB message of the 22nd of October 2013:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“ANYONE FEELING FRAZZLED?</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Are you feeling frazzled? Is your stomach tied up in knots? Overwhelmed by motherhood?</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Dear mother, I think that often we feel weighed down and snowed under because we get involved in too many other things outside the home. It's so easy to get in the rat-race of running here and there and having our children involved in too many activities, isn't it? </span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Many years ago I read a bumper sticker that said, "If a woman's place is in the home, why am I always in the car?" It isn't God's plan for us to mother our children running around in the car, but in the home.</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Can I encourage you that when life gets frantic, to take stock and look at what you are doing. I love the Knox translation of Hosea 11:11 which says, "In their OWN HOME, says the Lord, I WILL GIVE THEM REST."</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I know that all your running around is for good things. But, dear mother, don't let seemingly good things rob you of the perfect will of God. Even Eve, who walked personally with God every day, was not tempted by something that looked evil, but by what looked "good" and "wise" (Genesis 3:6). </span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Watch out for deception and find your REST IN YOUR HOME.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">have already made the decision to stay focused in my home this year. And by writing this posting I’m creating my own accountability.</span></span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dear Mothers, move at the pace of the little ones and you WILL create peace and joy in your home, but even more, in your precious children.</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>He will feed His flock like a shepherd;</i></div>
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<i>He will gather the lamps with His arm,</i></div>
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<i>And carry them in His bosom,</i></div>
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<i>And gently lead those who are with young."</i></div>
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<i>Isaiah 40:11 NKJV</i></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Linnie</span><br />
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-87223729866974996802014-01-01T13:36:00.001+02:002014-01-01T14:12:01.658+02:00The Year of Rest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">After experiencing the Lord mightily in 2013, especially in the context of the name of my Year 2013, I was in great anticipation for what He wanted me to call this coming year - 2014. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I started <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/12/the-only-place-to-really-live-the-year-of-here/" target="_blank">Naming the Year</a> in 2011, after reading Ann Voskamp’s blog, A Holy Experience. There is power, growth, blessing in giving a name to your year - allowing the Lord to make you focus on one truth for 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days. This through joy and memory making moments, as well as despairing and disappointing situations. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2011 was the <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2010/12/name-year.html" target="_blank">Year of Rebuilding Relationships</a>. It was my first year. To say the truth, quite a wobbly year, and by December 2011, I wasn’t sure I had accomplished my goal. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2012 was the <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/12/year-of-eucharisteo.html" target="_blank">Year of Eucharisteo</a> - Being thankful! It was just after I read One Thousand Gifts. It changed my life, my perspective and my picture of God, tremendously! It was a difficult year - two more miscarriages, after 7 healthy babies in 14 years. You can do the math, it wasn’t like I had any problems in getting pregnant or keeping my babies! The Lord sustained me with Eucharisteo.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">2013 was the <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-year-of-charis-grace.html" target="_blank">Year of Charis</a> - Grace.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One thing I knew while praying for the Lord’s guidance in the Name of this Year, was that I want to have more of Him… more of His amazing grace that will pull me towards loving Him more and serving Him more, trusting Him more, so I would toil less, wait on Him, let Him be God in my life.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For a week, days before Christmas I prayed day and night. Lord what was the name of 2014 to be? It came to me the day after Christmas, but I only recognised it a few days later. Three times over a few days I ran into verses with the name and it was only after it was posted on my Facebook wall that it hit me! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Twice in 48 hours I got the verses in Matthew 11:28</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><b>“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then I got Hosea 11:11 in the Knox translation:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><b>“And in their own home, says the Lord, I will give them rest.”</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh, the joy and peace - I just knew it was right - REST.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Lord wants me to rest in Him in 2014. Wow, what a hope, expectation, what a promise.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The past 3 months I’m studying Hebrews. And all the time while I was seeking the Lord for a name of this year, I knew it will have to do with the powerful message of Hebrews. The message of growing in my faith, but also in trusting the Lord more and more, pleasing Him more and more with my faith. But the most important, I remembered from the very first verses, <i><b>“Entering His Rest.”</b></i> Oh, how I long to enter His rest, even more so since I’ve experienced his grace so powerful in my life in 2013.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was almost like mountains lifting off my shoulders. The knowing in this year my goal will be to rest in my Lord. How I’m looking forward to undergo Real-Life-Training in How to rest in the Lord!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I look back at the passing year, 2013, and how the Lord taught me about His grace in my life, I’m in absolute awe. Coming from a conservative church as a child, grace was almost…. cheap. Everything was grace. Then in my thirtieth year I came to know the wrath of the Lord, and how He hates sin. He took us through the dessert and He taught us about obedience. He showed us His truths and how He long for us to walk in His truths, throwing off everything that entangled us - sin. I came to know the Lord as the Lion, and not only the Lamb I knew in my first 25years or so. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But as in everything when you stumble upon a new truth, you can easily become off balance. I only focused on truth and obedience. I knew I couldn’t earn my salvation, but I was pretty sure I could earn blessings from the Lord through my obedience. And whenever things went wrong, I was convinced I brought if over myself with disobedience of some kind. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Through counting the gifts in 2012, I gradually came to see a new grace. A totally different grace than what I came to know as a child in the conservative church. Through 2013’s Name, Charis - Grace, I wanted to know the true meaning of grace. I wanted to experience my Lord’s grace. It was beyond what I could ever have thought or asked… The Lord just overwhelmed me with His grace and wiped out all the distorted believes I had about grace. Through real life experiences, often hopeless and desperate situations, He personally taught me about His REAL grace. The grace that He demonstrated to me on the cross, while I was still in the depths of despair, become more real in every day situations of despair and hopelessness. Nothing I did in the past, will do in the future or does in the present, could validate the blessings I received from the Lord in the Year 2013.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It overwhelmed me, day after day, and it was all grace. The beauty of it all was, the more I received His grace, the more I was drawn to God, to His love and to love Him. To love Him for Whom He is, my Heavenly Father.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I studied the scriptures on Rest the past two days, it was awesome to read the true meaning of “Anapavo” - Rest. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">It describes a cessation from toil, a refreshment, an intermission. </span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I read it alongside Hebrews 4, I came to understand true rest come by diligently hearing the Word of God and to let it profit me, mixed with faith. That was exactly what I sensed in my spirit, while praying for the Name of 2014.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How I long to be a Giant in Faith! But for that to surface I need to go through gigantic tests of faith. That is a scary thought. I had to ask myself, why do I want to be a Giant in Faith? The answer: So I can rest, and have peace, while feeding on God’s grace and faithfulness, in this world of toil and hardship, lies and deception. This past year I came to have a taste of His grace, now I am in anticipation to experience all the facets of His rest in the next 12 months, 52 weeks and 365 days.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My prayer for 2014:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>"Dear Lord</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Thank you for this Word. I’m so looking forward to experiencing your faithfulness in showing me You can give me rest in situations that I’ll see impossible. Just as you already proved Yourself faithful to extend grace in situations where I deserved noting, was beyond hope, with little or total lack of faith. </i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Thank you Lord, I’m waiting on You.</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>In Jesus’ precious Name</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Amen”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What is the Name of your Year?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-10258053919321520782013-12-25T00:43:00.001+02:002013-12-25T00:43:24.142+02:00Countdown to Christmas 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When I was a little girl all of our families’ Christians friends celebrated Christmas. It was appropriate and a welcome saying to say, “Have a Merry Christmas!” Now days it is different. I’m almost hesitant to invite friends to my home after the first weekend of December, or share pictures of activities of my home on Facebook. Afraid that my friends see the Christmas tree and lights, or learn that we make Christmas crackers, a Gingerbread house and share presents on Christmas day and get offended.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The truth is, our family are committed Bible believing Christians who joyfully celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree and lights, a ginger bread house and delicious meals; the nativity scene and presents, with the sole purpose of celebrating the entering of our Saviour into this world - be it the right date or not.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In our home celebrating birthdays are big! We celebrate birthdays for at least two days - the day of the birthday and another day of celebration over the weekend. It is thus just normal practise for us to celebrate the birthday of Jesus, our Saviour. The children seldom refer to Christmas, rather Jesus’ birthday. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Over the past few years I learned about Ann Voskamp’s Jesse Tree on her blog, <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/" target="_blank">A Holy Experience</a>, but in all the buzz of December never came to make a Jesse Tree. This year I got The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp and the Lord powerfully spoke into my life. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“In the Greatest Gift, Ann Voskamp invites you to celebrate the lineage and majesty of God’s greatest gift to us - His Son, Jesus Christ - through the timeless Advent tradition of the Jesse Tree.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Beginning with Jesse, the father of David, The Greatest Gift retraces the epic pageantry of humankind from Adam to the Messiah, with each devotional reading, prayer and reflection leading you one glorious day at a time toward the magnificent promise of Christ.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Beautifully designed and exquisitely written, The Greatest Gift is a treasured reminder that it is Christ and Christ alone who endows Christmas with meaning.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The past year was a difficult year. Quite a few changes in my daily life responsibilities, becoming more involved in my husband’s business, my older children (and helpers) becoming more involved in their talents, gifts and interests, taking them out of the home more often. As a result I experienced major tests of faith, holding on to the promises and truths of Christ, my only life-line. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So this year I planned well in advance to do the Jesse Tree with my Children! I want them to experience day by day the fulfilling of promises in the birth of Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. I don’t want my children to only see the Baby in the Manger on Christmas day. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I want them to see the whole picture of the Baby, growing up to be the One who sacrifice His life on the Cross for sinners like us, reconciling us with God our Father. That is exactly what is accomplished with the Jesse tree. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While I was preparing, downloading ornaments and being in praying anticipation for what the Lord is going to do in my families’ lives, I learned one of my friends got permission from Ann Voskamp, to translate the Jesse Tree in Afrikaans! Wow, what a blessing! How often I feel we miss out, being an Afrikaans speaking family, with everything available in English. Now the Jesse Tree was translated and available as the “Boom van Isai”. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By the end of November my Jesse Tree ornaments were printed, laminated and ready. There are two sets of Jesse Tree ornaments available . One from the Jesse Tree devotional - colourful aimed for children, and the Greatest Gift ornaments - classic and timeless. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since I was a little girl we had a colourful Christmas tree, and the children have the privilege to decorate it. I got our Christmas tree when CJ was 3years old and Heidi-Mari a baby girl. Each year I allow them to decorate it to their heart’s desire. This year I wanted a real festive atmosphere in the home, with more colour and lights. I saw the opportunity to decorate our Jetmaster fireplace with holly, and Heidi-Mari and I decided to decorate it in a more classic way with red and gold decorations and white lights. We had quite a laugh when the sales person at the Christmas decorating shop’s eyes widened with concern that I want to wrap our fireplace with Christmas decorations. We took the time to remind him it is high summer in South Africa, we do not lite the fireplace during December/January and he relaxed! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"The Jesse Tree may take on a number of wondrous forms: a silhouette of a tree may be sewn or painted, cut out of felt, quilted, hung from the fridge, a wall, a door, a window. Or it can be a small evergreen tree, a cluster of red dogwood branches, a pot of hemlock, pine, spruce, sticks or holly. The 27 ornaments may be printed out onto card stock, cut and laminated and strung up, or the ornaments taped , fastened or buttoned onto your tree."</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After we set up the Christmas tree and decorated the Jetmater, I just knew our Jesse tree ornaments, laminated and stringed, need to hang on the holly of the Jetmaster. For this reason we chose the more <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/09/free-bonus-christmas-ornaments-free-jesse-tree-ornaments/" target="_blank">classic Greatest gift ornaments</a>, to fit the red, gold and white decorations. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then despite all my preparations and anticipation, we almost missed the Jesse Tree again. We should have started on Friday the 29th of November, but it was weekend, filled with activities, packing Above Rubies and restless little children who missed their afternoon naps. On Monday evening I was ready and the little ones who saw all the preparation for the Jesse tree were filled with excitement and anticipation. That evening after a delicious dinner, while we were still sitting around the table, we started the first day of Advent. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What a blessing to share the Word of God around the Family Meal Table. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"The table is more than a place to eat a hurried meal on the run. The table is a feeding place. A place to minister to our loved one’s physical needs and yes, this means preparing and cooking a meal, which means work! Feeding and nourishing our family is a huge part of mothering. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But the table is more than a place to feed hungry tummies, it is a place to feed the soul and mind, synonymous with intimate communion and fellowship. It is the heart and soul of family life; it is a sanctuary, a secret place from the daily world of strife, where our husbands and grown children may spend their days. When they arrive home to a waiting table - a table that welcomes them with good food, love and fellowship, the filth of the day washes away. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In preparing the food and eating of the meal together, we pave the way for the culmination of the meal - to feed the spirit. Did you know that every time Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples after His resurrection, it was when they were reclining at the table? God loves to present Himself at the table of the family that fears the Lord. He loves to reveal His truth to us, as we open our hearts to Him and talk of his wondrous ways." </span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And this is for our family the blessing of doing the Jesse tree. Each evening, after dinner, we take out the next ornament that reminds us of a story in the Old Testament, from the very first blink of the first star over Eden to the blinding light over Bethlehem - pointing us to the coming promise of the Messiah. After reading of another promise fulfilled, we’ll hang the ornament of each story on the branches of our tree and we rejoice in the coming of Jesus, redeeming us from a dooming future! Each child has a change to hang an ornament, while we ask one or two children to pray out loud with us. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My absolute favourite devotion is the one of Abraham who had to offer his only beloved son, Isaac. How Abraham let his son carry the fire wood and he, himself carried the fire and knife. And then after binding Isaac on the fire wood, hand lifted high to offer his son, God provided a ram in the thistles. God always sees, He will always provide. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The power of the Jesse tree, is how it talks into my life at first. The Lord ministers into my life in a way beyond what I can imagine. What a joy to share this with my children. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Years ago, we received a teaching from Bruce Wilkinson on the Three Chairs. Often first generation Christians are sold out, Bible believing Christians, who experience the Lord in every day miracles. They share their testimonies with their children (the second generation), giving them the opportunity to choose to follow Christ. If the second generation do except the Lord Jesus Christ, but do not put Jesus in the centre of their lives and start to experience their own miracles and share their own testimonies. Instead still drawing memories from the first generation, their children, the third generation would most likely deny the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. The bottom line of the teaching, we must live a transparent Christ-like life for our children, or they will deny our faith, and seek answers elsewhere than from God. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This past 25 days we could share with our children the miracle stories of the old Testament, but even more powerful, we could link it to stories in our own personal life, many of them current tests and struggles; seeking God for answers and experiencing victory, while they are witnessing and/or are partakers. I could never have imagined the holy moments where a little one get an ‘aaa-haa’ moment understanding a little more about Jesus and their purpose in Him, or an older child nod in absolute agreement.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This Christmas I come to understand more, that getting ready for Christmas has nothing to do with having all the presents and meals ready ahead of time. No! It is all about getting my heart ready to receive this Biggest Gift ever, Jesus Christ, my Saviour!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May you all have a blessed CHRISTlike feast.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span><br />
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-4286273895424023632013-09-30T15:15:00.001+02:002013-09-30T15:15:40.711+02:00Dead or Alive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Two weeks ago, Christo and I went away, just the two of us, for the first time in 18 years. I thought the day would never come! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since CJ was born in 1994, we only went away once. It was the year after we moved to Cape Town, CJ was only 18 months old. Our business needed serious changes, and my Parents in Law offered to look after CJ, while we went brain storming in a nearby town. Sadly it was the time during which CJ was still suffering from the terrible side-effects of his 15month vaccination, and he become seriously ill during that weekend. Needless to say we decided to not go away ever again while our child, or children (God willing) were small and depending on us.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In 2010, the day of Michael’s birth, Christo won the Sevenpointfive Franchisee of the Year award, winning 7 days in Mauritius. Three month old baby Michael accompanied us to Mauritius, while CJ (then 15years old), Heidi-Mari and our stunning babysitter, Surine (months before her own wedding) looked after our smaller children, then 5yrs, 4yrs and 21 months old. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You can read more <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2010/05/preparing-for-miracle.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2010/05/experiencing-mauritius-miracle.html" target="_blank">here</a>, how the Lord blessed us during that 7 days. How CJ and Heidi-Mari were a blessing to their siblings, looking after them with the greatest care, and even being ‘virtual babysitters’ for Baby Michael in Mauritius, so Christo and I could have peaceful dinners, while Michael could sleep undisturbed in our room.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The past few months were quite stressful, me becoming more involved in our family business. Life was challenging, trying to balance raising Godly children and being a true Helpmeet to my husband. Then suddenly, out of the blue, everything just came together for Christo and I to go away for just one night to the beautiful <a href="http://franschhoek.org.za/" target="_blank">Franschoek,</a> just 45min from home! It happened so quickly, since it was the only weekend in a series of weekends, during which the older four children were NOT having an archery competition and thus available to look after our Health shop and their four younger siblings! </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The weekend was beyond what I could have imagined. Being in my husband’s company for 36 hours, having conversations without interruption, I appreciated more than anything! The scenery was awesome, the <a href="http://www.fch.co.za/" target="_blank">5star hotel</a> beautiful, the food outstanding and being with my best Friend and the love of my life, amazing! </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Walking through the streets of Franschoek, with everything from handmade chocolate and homemade jams to scarves; wine in dim lighted, damp cellars, others beautifully displayed in sun light rows; a unique shop selling olive oil and balsamic vinegar in all kinds of flavours; walking in the rain in purple lavender gardens and raindrops on sun ripe lemons, was the perfect recipe for a memory making day in my marriage. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I reflected on this very special time alone with my husband, feeling alive and loved, I noticed how easily one can get caught up in an overwhelming life full of challenges and emergency situations. The danger of finding a comfort zone in surviving mode, dumbfound, refusing to get fully involved in the moments, in the fear of getting hurt or defeated. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For some time I did.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There is only one way to get alive when living emotionless. Allow the Lord to open your eyes for His beauty and the love He gave you in your life.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next weekend we went back to Franschoek for a one day outing, with all our children (except CJ, who went for his first compound bow competition!). It was a beautiful spring day. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just the night before it was one of the coldest nights this winter, leaving the mountains surrounding Cape Town, covered with snow. We were surrounded with beauty! We again walked the streets of Franschoek, with our beautiful children. Appreciating the comeliness of the scenery, visiting the charming Franschoek Pancake house, delighting in mouthwatering pancakes, peeping into little curios shops, and ended up on the green grass around the Franschoek Memorial, before driving up the Franschoek pass, with it magnificent mountains.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And all the way I was consciously aware of the presence of the Lord in all these beautiful blessings. From my children to the mountains.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ironically, the beauty was highlighted by the white topped mountains, which was only possible due to the icy cold night before. Then it dawned on me, my life is beautiful particularly due to challenging, stretching, hard and difficult moments. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The secret is in what I choose to do with it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Will I allow it to push me down and make me living like a dead? Overwhelmed and dumbfounded?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Or will I overcome? My God promised He has already overcame! Walking in faith and the hope of the Lord is part of the heritage of the Children of God. In Hebrews God promises His rest, if we mix faith into the Word, so it can profit us.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After experiencing the beauty of the Lord, I choose to walk in victory, because I'm under God's umbrella of hope, faith and love!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What do you choose in your difficult situation?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-64169034008723235892013-08-16T07:15:00.002+02:002013-08-16T07:15:50.239+02:00Yeast, Fermentation and Raising Children<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I absolutely love the smell of yeast! In my previous posting, I shared my passion for<a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2013/08/dough-in-masters-hands-and-bread-making.html" target="_blank"> baking bread the artisan way</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of the highlights of baking bread is the measuring of the fresh, crumbly yeast, then pouring the lukewarm water over it and watch how it dissolves in the water. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m fascinated by yeast and it’s role in the bread baking process. Yeast is unquestionably the key ingredient in making bread, through the fermentation process.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are two distinctive phases during the fermentation of dough made with only flour, water, salt and yeast, with no added sugars:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">During the first phase the yeast ferments the naturally present sugars in the flour, which can be directly and easily assimilated;</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The second phase corresponds to the fermentation of a specific sugar in flour, called maltose, through the action of some enzymes, the amylases. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The amylase enzyme split starch into much simpler sugars, called maltose. With the help of another enzyme of yeast, maltase, the maltose is then split in the most simple sugar, glucose. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is only then that the glucose can be transformed into carbon dioxide and alcohol. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The two main ingredients responsible for the characteristic light and airy texture in bread.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Interesting when sucrose or glucose (sugar) is added to the basic ingredients to bake bread, they are directly fermented before maltose (phase one), which means in such a dough mainly sucrose and/or glucose are consumed by the yeast. As a result maltose, naturally available in flour, is not consumed as effectively and the bread doesn’t have a distinct characteristic sweet taste, due to only partial consumption of the maltose.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I also noticed something else. Being over 40 I struggled big time with insulin resistance when consuming starch, and then specifically bread. Since I’m baking our bread with only flour, water, salt and yeast, with no added sugar, I started to loose the weight I struggled to do for two years, after three miscarriages. It just might be due to consumption of all the maltose in phase two of the fermentation process. Transforming the maltose into carbon dioxide and alcohol, which evaporate during the baking process.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When thinking of yeast as the driving force behind fermentation and how it allows a dense mass of flour and water to be transformed into a well-risen loaf of bread, which nourish and satisfy us humans, it is not surprising that there are more than 31 passages in the Bible on yeast, of which 7 are in the New Testament. These passages are either parables by Jesus or comparisons by Paul on yeast and it’s spiritual meaning.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sadly, as much as I am fascinated by yeast, in the Word of God, yeast is symbolic of sin. When taking into account how only a small amount of yeast can have such a crucial effect on dough, it is no wonder Jesus warns us about the effect of only a little sin (leaven) in our lives. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some time ago we had an incident with one of our children. For years she was participating in an extra mural which she enjoyed tremendously. Unfortunately over the past year I noticed she became more and more unsettled each time when she got home. The group with whom she practiced was very much into the world with dating and immorality. It become extremely disturbing to her, especially since she boldly declare not being into dating. She knew only a little leaven will soon leaven a whole lump and evil company corrupts. After much prayer she made the decision to stop this specific extra mural. Though it was very difficult and she was sad to stop it, it was worth to throw out the old leaven. And God was faithful. He gave her something amazing in return. I’ll share about that in another posting soon.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Over the past few months I not ONLY baked perfect, well developed bread. I had quite a bit of failures, too. Most of the time it was because the fermentation process wasn’t in a perfect controlled environment. The fermentation of the dough is very sensitive to temperature. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since it is winter and room temperatures are below 20degrees C, I often had to put the dough in warmer areas. My home doesn’t have sunny rooms, so the only place was in a slightly warm oven. But often, when I was distracted, I didn’t control the temperature of the oven as well and the yeast was exposed to too high temperatures, resulting in over fermented bread. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This just confirmed to me the reason why we’re homeschooling our children. We want to let our children mature in a controlled environment. Children are very much sensitive and receptive to influence, positive as well as negative. Very much the same as baking bread and controlling the fermentation process of bread. Once the bread goes into the oven, you cannot go back, change the ingredients, make corrections in the ratio or make adjustments to the resting times and temperatures. And as for the quality of the yeast you used, it is only after the bread comes from the oven that you realize the yeast wasn’t fresh. We have only this one time to raise godly children. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have only this one life-time to raise them in a safe, loving, positive learning atmosphere.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">We have only a few years to teach them about God and His creation.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Bible is very clear about the influence of bad company. I traced over 50 verses <a href="http://www.openbible.info/topics/bad_company" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">God reminds us in Deutoronomy 7 to teach our children diligently when we sit in our house, when we walk by the way, when we lie down and when we rise up. Sounds like a full time job.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just as I have to plan my days for baking bread and cannot leave my home, but have to stay busy in and around the kitchen, I cannot raise Godly children as a part time job.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Obviously this will ask for commitment and time investment. As there is quite a difference in buying shop bread, and the time investment in baking an artisan bread, there is tremendous amount of time, effort and sacrifice in homeschooling my children and raising them with the intention to become Godly men and women for God’s glory! In a culture where everyone wants everything to happen instantaneously, we have to remember bearing and raising children is a long-term investment, we must think long term - for the future. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dear Mother do you dread the commitment and sacrifice of intentionally raising Godly Children?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I’m writing the finishing lines of this posting, it is just about time to take a batch of bread out of the oven! Oh! I wish you can smell the aroma of freshly baked bread, which fermented for just the right timing in just the right environment. It took time and effort from my side. I intentionally direct my effort to create nice bread. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I don’t need to remind myself that the reward on raising Godly children for God’s glory will be even bigger, if I intentionally turn my focus on God, His ways and His plans for our family.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie </span><br />
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-36140328494923518872013-08-07T17:07:00.000+02:002013-08-07T17:11:50.388+02:00Dough in the Master's Hands and Bread Making<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">While we were in Knysna earlier this year, for our annual vacation, we paid a visit to <a href="http://www.iledepain.co.za/iledepain.html" target="_blank">Île de Païn</a> on Thesen Island. Master pastry chef and chocolatier, Markus Färbinger (an Austrian) and talented chef Liezie Mulder (a South African) opened Île de Païn in December 2012 and it was the first artisan, wood fired oven bakery in South Africa. Their breads, from the baguettes and ciabattas, to their signature “companion’s” are imbued with boldness and character, as well as ethereal quality. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While having amazing hot chocolate and choosing from a variety of decadent chocolate pastries, we learned they have a bread making DVD. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Obviously we bought the DVD and I embarked on the journey to learn how to make Artisan bread dough and since then my bread machine is not making bread anymore. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I absolutely love the feeling of working bread dough through my fingers. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some of you may have read my posting, <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-dont-want-to-be-like-chocolate.html" target="_blank">I don’t want to be like chocolate</a>. Since I’ve written that posting, we discovered I have very warm hands, yet another reason why I just don’t have the gifting to work with chocolate, unless the chocolate needs a little heat. It’s quite the opposite when working with bread dough - it is to the benefit of the dough when you have warm hands.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The one basic bread dough recipe, which I make from 50% refined spelt flour and 50% stoneground spelt flour makes about 1.8kg of dough, which can be moulded and shaped into a whole range of bread variations. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We’ve tried Pan Bread, </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">and Artisan loaves or ‘hearth’ loaves, which is my favourite and now our basic bread for every day.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The dough making process itself takes 3 to 3½ hours and another 1½ hours for final rising and baking. Remember during much of this time, I’m not necessarily physically engaging with the dough. I have plenty of time in between to attend to all the other things which surround me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">They call this method the artisan way of baking bread, and for a reason. It is amazing to experience the fermentation of the dough in between resting periods. While watching the DVD, Markus Färbinger, who was born into a family with a tradition of wood-fired heart baking going back four generations, in Taxenbach, you can “hear” and see the dough developed into the different stages. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I started to do it myself, I could hardly control the excitement of feeling, smelling and experiencing the dough! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We all know the picture of God as the potter and we the clay. Since I’ve started baking bread the artisan way, I like to think of God as the Baker and me as bread dough in His Hands, working and shaping me into life-giving bread for the hungry people He sends across my way.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The first step in making the dough is to accurately weigh the flour, water, fresh yeast and salt.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">and making a well in the flour, you gradually pour in the water, then the yeast and then the salted water into the well, and using one hand only, blend the water and flour slowly to form a paste. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I absolutely love this. It brings back childhood memories of playing ‘kitchen-kitchen’ when I was still a little girl in my parents’ back yard in the sand, baking mud cakes. After all the flour is completely blended into the mixture and the dough is shaped into a loose ball, it’s placed into a large bowl brushed with olive oil. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just before covering the dough with a cloth, the temperature is measured. It should be between 23 and 24 degrees C. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn1Ep-jNrLGtICDiS3Vf5tIHzIZnXQLZ5FXFMHnO3-goYIqji62VA9WG7LFyd1BfD2qm4278YJxD_AcKaU4ZArJzX-ack9Z8_hUtWYCdta1T756pAJI4n7AyEkVvFVdXQXqeiL-LTnv4/s1600/IMG_3130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn1Ep-jNrLGtICDiS3Vf5tIHzIZnXQLZ5FXFMHnO3-goYIqji62VA9WG7LFyd1BfD2qm4278YJxD_AcKaU4ZArJzX-ack9Z8_hUtWYCdta1T756pAJI4n7AyEkVvFVdXQXqeiL-LTnv4/s320/IMG_3130.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I worked the dough, at least 3 batches, twice a week, to provide bread for my family of ten, I got a spiritual picture of encouragement from the Lord.</span></div>
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God will never expose me to Temperatures of refining beyond what I’m able to bear.</span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Every time I measure the temperature of my dough, I’m reminded that He will never expose me to temperatures of which I’m not capable of handling.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1 Peter 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,"</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>And</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1 Cor 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Interesting Note:</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When the dough temperature is too high, let the dough rest in a cool area or place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to bring the temperature down. If dough is too cold, allow to rest in a warm place. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Higher temperatures leads to dough rising faster, lower temperatures slows it down.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I can trust the Lord to know exactly what temperature is needed to let my faith develop for His glory.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span><br />
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-43293019330872107592013-07-25T22:16:00.000+02:002013-07-25T22:16:20.115+02:00Third Place for Back to Ancient Ways in Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms of Big Families 2013 Contest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-Moms-With-Big-Families-2013?trk=t25_Top-25-Moms-With-Big-Families-2013" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank" title="I'm in Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms With Big Families - 2013"><img src="http://images3.circleofmoms.com/images/26601/moms/badges/badge_top25_moms_of_big_families_2013.png" title="I am in Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms With Big Families - 2013!" /></a></div>
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I'm totally overwhelmed with the outcome of the <a href="http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/Top-25-Moms-With-Big-Families-2013" target="_blank">Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms of Big Families 2013</a> contest. </div>
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As I entered on Saturday the 13th of July, my highest hope was just to be under the Top 25 Moms.</div>
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As the week prolonged Back to Ancient Ways moved up the list quite quickly and our family was thrilled!</div>
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But I had no words when we hit the 3rd place early Sunday morning! </div>
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Linnie</div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-11121254436435665862013-07-14T13:00:00.000+02:002013-07-14T13:27:30.956+02:00Growing<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">During school holidays I aim to take one child at a time with me when I have to run errands. On Tuesday it was Andrew’s turn. He is my passionate child, with the small heart. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Quality time is his love language. Needless to say, he loved every moment alone with me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The one thing that stand out for me when being with him alone, is the kind of questions and things he talks about. He has such an inquisitive mind and loves asking questions.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On Tuesday, out of the blue, he wanted to know how we grow, as he observed his too long fingernails which I forgot to cut before we left. Do we grow a piece at a time, or do we grow constantly? As I started an elaborate detailed explanation, as the constant changes in our bodies are quite a difficult concept to explain to an 8 year old, while driving - another picture come to mind.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We do not have much control of our bodies’ growth, or as we get older (where I’m now), the slow degeneration of our bodies. We can take care of our diet. Eating organic food as far possible, avoiding fast foods, colourants, genetically modified foods, MSG and preservatives to give optimum growth and prevent degenerating at a fast rate. We can take anti-oxidants, vitamins and Omegas to revitalize our cells, and drink 2-3 liters of water to wash away cellular waste. All these precautions can help us have optimum and quality life.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Change is part of the cycle of life. Physically we will always have change. But we are not only body, we are also spirit and soul and in our spiritual life we will also have constant change. We can either grow and move forward or choose a comfort zone and back slide slowly. I read the other day ‘Create a new comfort zone.” When you are in a comfort zone and nothing is challenging you, you might be at a dangerous place. A comfort zone can easily become a place of no growth. After all, what is there to depend on God for when we have everything under control? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">God wants us to move our boundaries, conquer new territory for Him, do new things for Him, reach people in His name for His glory. But in moving our boundaries, stepping out of our comfort zones, we will surely stumble into overwhelming circumstances. You will feel out of control, afraid, inexperienced, “the wrong man for the job”. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And that is exactly what you are supposed to feel when you are in a spiritual challenging situation, out of you comfort zone. When you can do nothing out of our own, you can only walk with the Lord Jesus in total dependence. It is in these circumstances that you grow, that you learn more about God, who you are and how to trust Him for more.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After all, when you move the boundaries, transcending the ordinary and starts to encroach on new territory for God, guess whose turf you’re invading? You are conquering territory for the Lord which belong to the World, to Satan. It will call for great faith, great dependence on the Lord for His supernatural power working through you. In the process we will be filled more with the Spirit and we will grow spiritually.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I remember a story by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson, years ago while he was still in seminary. He was in conversation with a fellow student and his mentor, Professor Howard Hendricks. The student was excited to tell Dr. Hendricks how well his life was going.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“When I first came here,” he said, “I was so tempted and tested I could barely keep my head above water. But now - praise God! - my life at seminary has smoothed out. I’m not being tempted hardly at all!”</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But Hendricks looked deeply alarmed - not the reaction the student was expecting.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“That’s about the worst thing I could have heard,” he told the surprised senior.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“That shows me that you’re no longer in the battle! Satan isn’t worried about you anymore.”</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Are you still in the battle? Are you still stepping out in faith, redeeming territory for the Lord, living in total dependence on Jesus? Do you allow these circumstances to let you grow spiritually, or do you enjoy your comfort zone? Playing it safe, tolerant and blending in?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Remember Peter stepping out of the boat, walking on the water depending on Jesus alone?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Whatever you do this week, don’t be hesitant to live a life for the Lord. Be bold, living in totally dependence, pleasing the Lord by living in faith!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-70374024000608467872013-05-21T07:44:00.001+02:002013-05-21T07:44:15.370+02:00Setting Sweets and Testing Trials<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I love it when the Lord speaks to me through everyday events and nature’s laws.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This past Saturday Heidi-Mari and I attended another Lindt Chocolate course. I treasure these girly days with my daughter, enjoying quality time together, sharing in her passion for chocolate and pastries. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Saturday’s course was on the making of old fashioned sweets. I didn’t spend much time on studying what products we would make, I only picked up the word, Turkey’s Delight and that was more than enough motivation to attend the course. But to my surprise, there was so much more. We made Vanilla & Amarula caramels, Green apple taffy, Parisian gums, Marshmallow knots and Lokoum rosewater Turkish delight.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the making of all these old fashioned sweets it is most important to condense the fats in the liquid, to allow setting, and this is accomplished by cooking the ingredients to temperatures up to 140 degrees C! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Often one half of the ingredients is mixed and boiled to a certain temperature, then the rest of the ingredients are added, resulting in the temperature to drop considerably and then it is cooked again to a temperature above 115 degrees C or more. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The final temperature of cooking, just before it is poured out to set, must be measured very accurately and will influence the end product considerably. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">If the pastry chef wants the end product to be a bit softer than usual, he will drop the end temperature with one or two degrees. If he wants the end product to be a bit firmer, he might increase the final temperature with one or two degrees.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">He also have to take in account sea level and air pressure. At the coast the temperature will be about 5 degrees lower than in the midlands of a continent. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was fascinated by these bits of information and very much amazed at the science behind making old fashioned sweets. As I pondered on these facts, I recognized the connection between the process sweets has to go through, exposure to intense heat, to create a fine end product and the way the Lord work with each of us to present us perfect and complete, lacking nothing on His return.</span></div>
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<i><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">6</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">7</span></span></i><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i> that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ…”</i> 1 Pet 1:6-7</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>"Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver;<br />
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction."</i> Isaiah 48:10</span></div>
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<i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">2</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">3</span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">4</span></span></i><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i> But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.</i> James 1:2-4</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The testing of our faith, through trials and hardship.</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Oh, how I would give anything to prevent myself and my loved ones to go through trials. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But James, as well as Peter, close friends and disciples of Jesus, isn’t unfamiliar with trials and tribulations or the purpose thereof. They link trials and tribulations with the testing of our faith, like fire refine gold. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Peter, the one who betrayed Jesus on the night He was crucified, </span>emphasised<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> the necessity of trials to produce patience, and patience to perfect and complete us, lacking nothing, becoming more holy. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Interesting that we Christians often presume that God will prevent us from hardship and make life easy on us. Even more sad, we often try to opt out of tiring situations and compromise for an easy way out, instead of allowing difficult situations to stretch our trust and faith in our loving, trustworthy God. After all He doesn’t test our faith for Himself, but for us, so we can know how far we can trust God and every time trust a bit more. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And this bring me to my own experience of being a mother. Being a mother is a journey filled with <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/06/party-and-test-of-faith.html" target="_blank">trials and tribulations</a>, hardship and self sacrificing! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Often when this journey becomes tiresome, I remember Timothy’s words":</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>“...she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.”</i> </span>1 Timothy 2:15</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I cannot think of another journey that would purify my faith, like that of being a mother. Nothing about being a devoted mother is easy. It is like being a mixture of ingredients, all together cooking at 135 degrees C. And all the unnecessary moisture is evaporating in the air, condensing what is needed to make a fine product. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All the sleepless nights taking care of a baby or sick child; crazy days cleaning up after toddlers; overwhelming lonesome days with only little ones to take care off, with little to show for the day; the never years - never enough money, never enough time, never enough sleep; busy years, hectic and impossible, filled with hours of training foolish and immature children over and over again, with seemingly no progress; days, weeks, years going by, just doing the same old thing every day. These years of sacrificially serving my family, are the years that form me as the bride of Christ, not having spot or wrinkle, holy and without blemish. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dear Mother, we don’t become the beautiful bride of Christ in a comfort zone. We need heat, purifying fire to refine us from impurities like impatience, selfishness, self centeredness, bitterness, un-forgiveness, unholiness.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Will you trust God that He will use just the right temperature to purify you? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Will you trust Him that He knows about your trials and He will not prolong it one hour longer than necessary? Will you stop comparing yourself to another friend or mother, assuming their trials are less tiring than yours? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Will you stop complaining against the heat He is using to refine you and allow patience to have its perfect work in you? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That you may be perfect, complete, lacking nothing and become more precious than gold that perishes.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span><br />
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-75870433425587142112013-04-01T15:18:00.002+02:002013-04-01T15:18:52.438+02:00Children - Ours for only a Short Period of Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In our family there is not one dull moment, and Mom and Dad just have to hold on too stay on board.<br />
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Two weeks ago we planted our Easter Garden</div>
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This year we changed our<a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/04/making-easter-real-for-my-children.html" target="_blank"> Easter Garden</a> a little and sowed wheat, instead of planting small plants. </div>
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With great excitement the first sprouts were observed</div>
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And within a few days it was growing us out of the house!</div>
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In the mean time CJ became involved in another movie shoot, as <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/03/day-two-on-set.html" target="_blank">stunt rider</a> and he will be on and off set for about 6 weeks. He has to leave home at 5am in the morning and only come home after 9pm at night. This morning he left at 2am! I thought my time of rising for him at night was over! :-)</div>
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Obviously he is enjoying this experience tremendiously, but his siblings (and parents) are missing him big time. </div>
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As we approached Easter we had much fun dressing up for the last supper.</div>
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In the months leading up to Easter we did the whole history of Moses. How God showed His great power to Pharaoh, the Egyptians and the Israelites. After God showed the Egyptians His power, He passed over His people and freed them from slavery in Egypt. In the light of this, Easter was so much more real for the children.</div>
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On Wednesday evening we had our Last Supper meal as a family.</div>
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On Thursday morning I accompanied Heidi-Mari and Danika to a Lindt Chocolate Decorating Class. It was Danika's first real Lindt Chocolate workshop and she enjoyed every moment.</div>
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On Saturday, Christo and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary! We got married over Easter weekend, so this was such a special anniversary, being on a Saturday and Easter weekend again.</div>
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On Sunday we had a fun afternoon, changing the living room into a chocolate studio and with all the children doing chocolate decorating! </div>
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Heidi-Mari and Danika finished decorating their chocolate creations of Thursday at the Lindt Chocolate Studio.</div>
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I got two extra chocolate creations for the boys to decorate.</div>
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CJ, Daniel and Michael worked together.</div>
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Josua, Andrew and David worked together.</div>
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They had so much fun decorating with the modelling chocolate! It was the first time Heidi-Mari and I made modelling chocolate.</div>
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So much detail</div>
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The finished products:</div>
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Michael, CJ and Daniel's</div>
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Josua, Andrew and David's</div>
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Danika's</div>
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Heidi-Mari's</div>
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And Daddy had a ball playing photographer!</div>
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With CJ growing up so quickly, the previous weekend not at home, but on set, we realised yet again, our children are only ours to have with us at home for a very short period of time. Soon they will all be adults, changing the World for God's glory. </div>
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This was a blessed memory making week, on which we will ponder for years to come!</div>
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With much love</div>
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Linnie</div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-51449359247069580432013-03-24T17:05:00.000+02:002013-03-24T17:07:25.526+02:00Commentary on One Thousand Gifts <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">This past week a commentary on <a href="http://onethousandgifts.com/the-book" target="_blank">One Thousands Gifts</a> by Ann Voskamp was brought to my attention. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">According to this commentary, ‘One Thousands Gifts is a New Age Emergent movement, drawing women into its deception’. The information in One Thousands Gifts is accused of being a false perception, compared with a virus, sweeping through the church worldwide and apparently now the homeschooling community. The friend who brought this under my attention, was concerned that since I have a blog and because of my influence on homeschoolers, I might be involved in leading women astray. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I don’t want to lead any one astray, and do understand that some women look to me for advice and guidance and that no deceit should be found in my teachings. It is important that the books I recommend be scriptural in every way and we are not party to spreading a false gospel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the light of this, I want to share my response with you:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Words on paper can be a blessing, but very soon after I started blogging I realized it can easy be misinterpreted, cause misunderstanding and devision. Years ago I attended a seminar by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson’s wife, Darlene Wilkinson on the Prayer of Jabez for Women. During this seminar she pointed out that our reaction to teaching can often be influenced by our maturity level, and we must be very careful to criticize each other, since we are seldom at the same maturity level. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> might be on a spiritual level, that may cause me to be blind for what you find concerning in reading “One Thousand Gifts”. For this reason I also asked Christo, as my priest and leader, to give commentary. We as a family watched the One Thousand Gifts DVD’s together, and he also experienced first hand what the effect of One Thousand Gifts was on my life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now I want to add a few things before I get to One Thousand Gifts itself. Over the years almost every single mentor in my walk of faith, has been criticized on a book they wrote. We would have been very poor in knowledge and understanding of the Word of God and our walk of faith, if it wasn’t for Dr. Bruce Wilkinson’s many teachings and books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Nancy Campbell herself isn’t appreciated for her books “Be Fruitful and Multiply”, “The Power of Motherhood”, “The Gate-Keeper of the Home” or the Above Rubies magazine. Debi Pearl, for her book Created to be His Helpmeet. Though I don’t necessarily endorse any of the other teachings by No Greater Joy, Debi Pearl’s book gave me great insight in understanding my husband and finding joy in being submissive. Also Rick Joyner wrote a few great books which influenced our understanding of the spiritual realm. What his current teachings are like, I am not familiar with .</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Do I agree with each and every word in all the books I read? Often not! Every now and then there would be something that I don’t quite agree with, or would love to have a better explanation for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But then I remember 1 Thessalonians 5:21,</span><i style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“Test all things; hold fast what is good.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">and Phillipians 2:12b, <i>“...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”</i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I trust God to let me discern what is right and edifying. The above Authors boldly teach on controversial, not so popular Bible truths and often challenge their readers to blindly step out in faith, while trusting the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Furthermore Christo and me are not unfamiliar with criticism on our way of living. Our first encounter was 17 years ago when we chose homeopathic/natural medicine above allopathic medicine, due to the illness of our firstborn, CJ. Followed by not vaccinating our children. We then left the traditionally Reformed church, leaving behind our family, with all their criticism. Soon after that it was our choice to homeschool our children. Rejection, ridicule and criticism since we surrendered my womb to the Lord in 2005. In all these criticizing, we desperately searched the Lord for wisdom and guidance. Often we were not able to find an answer with people, we always turn to the Holy Spirit to open God’s Word as our only authority. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Criticism is good, when received with a humble, teachable spirit.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Each time when we receive criticism it make us stop and reevaluate what we are busy doing, are we still calibrated to the Word, Gods plan for our lives. Often this reevaluation of our intentions and knowledge, in addition to searching the scriptures, contributed to an even stronger belief, being even more convicted by the Holy Spirit of that which we stand for. Each time the Lord brought us back to the big picture of His word on the specific topic and then guide us to specifics. Many theologic arguments were put before us, but time and time again God revealed to us His truths, as unto simple minded men. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.”</i> Matt 11:25</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All these, plus many personal trials and tribulations have added to our maturity level. It is this past and present experiences that influence the way we make choices. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">About a year ago I read a similar commentary, accusing Ann of being of the New Age movement. I read it, found it ridiculous, and tucked it away, since it was the exact time during which<a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/02/hard-thank-yous.html" target="_blank"> I lost another precious baby</a>. I always had to work very hard to achieve something. My mother had very high expectations of me, and with her very critical personality, I often disappointed her, leaving me with a very low self esteem. Over the years I’ve developed a distorted picture of God not always being on my side. It felt like He was not very impressed with me. I knew He loved me, but maybe He didn't like me. My opinion about God was, that for whatever reason He would often just allow hard things to happen to me, for no apparent reason.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After reading “One Thousand Gifts”, this distorted picture of God changed dramatically! As I thought back to the hard times, it was almost like the veil had been taken away and I could see clearly. I could see God in the small things, His hand of protection and guidance. I could also identify that going through the tests of fire was to purify me. One Thousand Gifts, opened my eyes to see God’s pain with me in my miscarriage. Not leaving me to just go through the pain, almost like He is to busy running the World and I had to take care of myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Do you understand what I experienced, my Friend? There is no way that something like a New Age movement, or another ‘jesus’ could do this for me! I trusted God all my life, to keep me and guide me - He promises it in His Word and I stand on it. He will not let me go astray, because He knows my heart, He knows my past, He knows my weaknesses and in all this He meets me. And that is exactly what He did with One Thousand Gifts.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The fruit of this book in my life, is life-giving - not death! Critics will often be concerned with the ‘roots’ of others’ choices or the ‘roots’ of their teachings. This also happened with us. People told us (in their opinions) how and what was wrong with our choices. With our choice of homeopathy, it was the evil Eastern roots. With surrendering my womb it was the root of keeping the law, which would bring death to our souls. Having all these blessings (children) in my life, do bring tiredness and sacrificing of self, but its fruit is life and that in abundance, not death! Interesting nowhere in the Bible do I read you have to validate something according to its roots, but judge according to its FRUIT!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And God says, <i>“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their </i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><i>fruits</i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>.”</i> I have been reading Ann’s blog for years now, and the fruit I see there is life-giving too! In her husband, in her marriage and in her children! We can be so quick to jump to conclusions, far removed from being Spirit filled or even Godly truth! Mostly based on misconceptions or on what others say about something or someone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Many of the things I read about in One Thousand Gifts, compare with teachings we received over the years. Dr. Bruce’s “Testing of your Faith”, as well as the “Unveiling Glory”, “Cat and Dog Theology” teachings we received 10 years ago, with the Word foundational to these teachings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I question the sincerity and motive of the commentators who pull One Thousand Gifts and Ann Voskamp’s faith apart. I remember years ago, while I was still in school, studying a poem. It was one of the compulsory poems we had to study for our final exams. After pulling the poem apart, the teacher stopped for a moment and thoughtfully commented, “The Poet most probably didn’t mean half of the things we added to this poem, but never mind.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I wonder how much is added to Ann’s beautiful poetic, romantic writings, which is a godly given talent and just who she is. I understand that her poetic style may not appeal to everybody, but her different style is no reason to criticize or question the validity of her message.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is so sad to me when ‘highly theological educated’ people (like in the link you sent me) trample with their dirty shoes of criticism and proud theological arguments on holy ground, on ground where we are supposed to take our shoes off.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFR4lDc2WNBW7cCsMyQa3ofCQRdrJtRWbMc2JeAM-J0prDRUHZJ0Iffo-EIl0HOjthCrmHAA5FHl-C7l34GVwXn_619ybhQfF2U8XeJhJcK7a2eNo7yhdg6YAjaXgNZOALAeZ1JjjuKc/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFR4lDc2WNBW7cCsMyQa3ofCQRdrJtRWbMc2JeAM-J0prDRUHZJ0Iffo-EIl0HOjthCrmHAA5FHl-C7l34GVwXn_619ybhQfF2U8XeJhJcK7a2eNo7yhdg6YAjaXgNZOALAeZ1JjjuKc/s320/IMG_1135.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">God love diversity! Just this past weekend, I attended a Walk through the New Testament seminar, with CJ, Heidi-Mari, Josua and Danika. It was interesting to hear again, how God was aware of this concept of people being different in many ways. He used 4 different people with different focus, personality, way of acting, authority and goals to document the four gospels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Matthew, a Hebrew, wrote for the Hebrews. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Their focus was the past, he wrote out of emotion. For the Hebrews religion was their way of acting, traditions is the goal and commands the authority. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObFmP0bau8pmLO5Z8Ek0ZHiMjaT8HWjGO5EMCkEwYav4zeobyFiU22tPLq2yR5G4bcu3SdwNmH-Xi9_PxY75wYruvzwQK_eOPi32TnsB1WWjPlFCfaB5VhDHohM-KxNLtG1B9Q0lxCDg/s1600/Matthew+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObFmP0bau8pmLO5Z8Ek0ZHiMjaT8HWjGO5EMCkEwYav4zeobyFiU22tPLq2yR5G4bcu3SdwNmH-Xi9_PxY75wYruvzwQK_eOPi32TnsB1WWjPlFCfaB5VhDHohM-KxNLtG1B9Q0lxCDg/s320/Matthew+2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Due to these characteristics, he portraits Jesus as the King.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Mark, a Roman, wrote for the Romans. Their focus was the present, he wrote out of the will. For the Romans, Caesar was the authority, construction was their way of acting and domination the goal. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPJVXq27_EfzEUeog9RcGfaDHa5-Mjr4pVgy_jabslz7ivu2VbZuhzHzvh3xthCrAjdvpq8-oIcHfuo4dBwBs4VOmUBYDCWMpBTqszJ4iVIJ3BgiAvKQyMIL9g2W40cByTNkpYZGRjjU/s1600/Mark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPJVXq27_EfzEUeog9RcGfaDHa5-Mjr4pVgy_jabslz7ivu2VbZuhzHzvh3xthCrAjdvpq8-oIcHfuo4dBwBs4VOmUBYDCWMpBTqszJ4iVIJ3BgiAvKQyMIL9g2W40cByTNkpYZGRjjU/s320/Mark.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He portraits Jesus as the Servant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Luke, a Greek, wrote for the Greeks. Their focus was the future, he wrote out of the mind. For the Greeks culture is the authority, education their way of acting and sophistication the goal. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IaUcc79_rJnDXhsDxAHqInDehefrX9zMM5uy-c25haG_CSvz9Ps73ymWJ1qfEjgdhiUmG5o1ySLulY_kUETZoZHba0ICfqgGBlBRqLy5X1WA0_se7KeiVFX3JgURARgXdXVVz9odPwg/s1600/Luke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IaUcc79_rJnDXhsDxAHqInDehefrX9zMM5uy-c25haG_CSvz9Ps73ymWJ1qfEjgdhiUmG5o1ySLulY_kUETZoZHba0ICfqgGBlBRqLy5X1WA0_se7KeiVFX3JgURARgXdXVVz9odPwg/s320/Luke.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He portraits Jesus as the Perfect Man. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Johan, wrote as a Christian, for Christians. Their focus is eternity, his writing style is in the spirit. For the Christian, Christ is the authority, revelation the way of acting and Evangelism the gaol. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkSkdND3Iw4UxhfacaJzJzgCQXHQ7VEWp8njvDkVatfrvcPLXTMeAwK-HiRcxZR3AyoUxuH3_UBHisp3LEYj13VoHdF1QnXQfVXN1CH4bXiF6VmGsy7Fy6iwQZgikUR5-hFbqeDf8uUw/s1600/John.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkSkdND3Iw4UxhfacaJzJzgCQXHQ7VEWp8njvDkVatfrvcPLXTMeAwK-HiRcxZR3AyoUxuH3_UBHisp3LEYj13VoHdF1QnXQfVXN1CH4bXiF6VmGsy7Fy6iwQZgikUR5-hFbqeDf8uUw/s320/John.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">He portrait Jesus as the Son of God. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Even today, these four gospels, speak to different people on different levels. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the light of this, there will be books written in a style (poetry) and in emotion (romantic) that you might not be comfortable with and may make you feel uneasy. And that is fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So dear Friend, I appreciate your concern and warning, but One Thousand Gifts enriched my walk with the Lord so much. Although I only read the Bible, no devotionals and seldom commentaries, we love to read other books in our free time! I believe I’m blessed with the gift of discernment and I very quickly feel an unease in my spirit when I read something not from the Lord. I love to read the books the Lord send over my path, especially from respected authors and mentors we have come to know since 1999 when we recommitted our lives to the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So I humbly ask that you hear my heart when I say that I appreciate your concern over me possibly going astray, very much. I know that as a friend you are looking out for me, but in this instance I believe I am doing no wrong.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2s8I3aJxsy5Hb8kV0Hlrt3iMboh4AwozhiZgM1c6olKWu6vQMQXopTTun2kMMMggbY70Aoa8Ion6GzmeffnZbO8pmypPkO4HneG_biVxOsTd71jKmNaxNFPtP9K8Pcz4kql9eUMgZRY/s1600/IMG_9161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK2s8I3aJxsy5Hb8kV0Hlrt3iMboh4AwozhiZgM1c6olKWu6vQMQXopTTun2kMMMggbY70Aoa8Ion6GzmeffnZbO8pmypPkO4HneG_biVxOsTd71jKmNaxNFPtP9K8Pcz4kql9eUMgZRY/s320/IMG_9161.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I would like to add two testimonies from women I know:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“How can I even begin to say how much Christ used this book to change my attitude towards life! My cry to God was Psalm 86:4 'Make glad the soul of your servant, for to You Lord I lift up my soul'. I asked God to make me 'glad'. I asked Him to help me find joy in the dark times and when I really did not feel like it. The Bible was full of all these thanksgiving verses and it was like they were jumping out towards me. I am not one to read 'self-help' books so much and believe that God will speak to me through His Word. However, God brought One Thousand Gifts to me through a precious friend whom I trust very much. </span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was a completely 'Bible based' book and everything Ann Voskamp said, was backed by scripture. I started giving thanks to God every day for little things and then I started writing them down. The day my dear granny died still stands out to me as I took the 'gifts' from Ann's blog and looked for them everyday. The gifts we were looking for that day was 'a gift worn, white and whispered. I stood by Oumie's bed and took her worn hand in mine, stroked her white hair over the pillow and we whispered “I love you” to each other. It was only later that night when I wrote down my gifts that I realized this and started giving thanks to my awesome God for these things. I still write down 3 gifts every day and realize that thanksgiving is Gods grace to give us the joy we long for. Even more so when we don't feel thankful.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be THANKFUL AND SAY SO TO HIM, bless and affectionately praise His name!” Psalm 100:4. It is evident in scripture that thanking our Father and Lord Jesus Christ daily for His gifts by the power of the Holy Spirit will bring us joy and I am so thankful to Ann Voskamp for pointing this out to us through her book One Thousand Gifts!” </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“I believe that at the heart of Ann's message is a deep desire for us all to draw closer to Him by gaining an appreciation of the bounty of His gifts to us in ordinary every day occurrences and situations that we take for granted. I believe that because of the poetic beauty with which Ann writes, some mistake this for mysticism, but aren't we all mystified by the grace of God. The Apostle Paul called this gift of grace and mercy a mystery - Christ in Us, the hope of glory! </span> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ann has opened my eyes to God's blessings in the ordinary, everyday and given me a new appreciation for the gifts that I take for granted every day. Yes, now I do see Jesus in the ordinary and I look for blessings in the midst of storms and trials but I see this as an enhancement to my spiritual growth, not some emotional virus. How much easier is it to Give thanks in everything, when you are truly looking for the gift in every thing that comes? I am truly thankful that I am not bound by such legalism that would take issue with a poetic mandate to count our blessings and appreciate the gifts of God.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friend (yes, we still share a sweet friendship) and I couldn’t agree on whether One Thousands Gifts is a false teaching or not. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Always remember to <i>“Test all things; hold fast what is good”</i> (1 Thessalonians 5:21) for yourself, not on the recommendation of another. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Also <i>“...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”</i> (Phillipians 2:12b-13)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The commentary that was sent to me and made me write this posting, you can read <a href="http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue120.htm" target="_blank">here</a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some interesting material for those who are still skeptical about One Thousand Gifts and Ann Voskamp’s heart behind the book can be found in <a href="http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2012/may/ann-voskamp-tim-challies-beth-moore-dinner-and-defense-of.html?start=1" target="_blank">Christianity Today</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ann Voskamp’s view on some of these <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/05/how-to-really-survive-a-heart-attack/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/intimacy-with-god/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finally, brethren,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>whatever things are true,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Philippians 4:8</i></span></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-25612041385910256022013-03-17T18:23:00.001+02:002013-03-17T18:23:19.579+02:00Homeschooling the Primary Years<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I wanted to share our cleaning routine/rhythm, after the previous post on </span><a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2013/02/i-get-this-question-over-and-over-again.html" style="letter-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank">Balancing homeschooling and domestic work</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, but I thought it good to first share a little about my homeschool style. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Insight into how I homeschool, might give more insight on our cleaning routine, because the two cannot be separated.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I often get questions on how I manage to homeschool 8 children, give individual attention to each one, what I teach at what age and how I make sure they know everything they need to know.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">With my eldest now almost at the end of his homeschooling journey, my youngest not in the journey yet, and 6 children in between, you might think I have it all figured out! To the contrary. Every year, like every season, is a challenge and bring along new trials and fears, as well as joy’s, laughter and learning opportunities. But most of all it results in more trust in the Faithful One who called me to homeschool my children. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">If I could give advice to any new homeschooling mother it will be: </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">“The way you homeschool in the primary years of your child’s life will make or break your homeschooling journey!”</span></span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The single, most imported thing I’ve observed over the past 12 years, was the learning curve in my children. Observing this learning curve, helped me see the big picture of when to do what in our homeschooling journey. I’m so thankful that I have the little ones on which I can apply the wisdom obtained while homeschooling my older children.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I just started homeschooling CJ and Heidi-Mari, people often asked me if I’m intending to homeschool them all the way through high school. It was an interesting question for me, since I believed (and now after 12years, know) the biggest challenge in homeschooling is the preschool and primary school levels. I truly believe the success of your homeschooling journey rises and falls on how you homeschool the primary years of your child’s life. Not only are these early years of homeschooling crucial for your child’s learning experience and capturing a love for learning; it is paramount for you as the homeschooling mother’s satisfaction of homeschooling, in the midst of sacrifices and hard work.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve come to recognize three stages of learning in my children:</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">First Stage - Exploring through playing and making messes.</span></span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">This stage is roughly between 2 and 9. The years of investigating and exploring. Now this is not new to you! Children love to explore, take things apart, want to know how things work and making a mess. Children in this age range, constantly ask questions and eagerly want to learn! At least once a week I read about mothers who proudly share how their toddlers love to learn. How these little ones at the age of 5 are begging them to go to school or “do school” with their older siblings. They are like sponges and the Mother just don’t have enough activities to keep them busy, while they learn to write their names, want to read and write and eagerly listen as she reads to them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">But then at the age of 7 to 8 years old, things often change. The child who with delight and enthusiasm jumped into the first few months of learning, now rather wants to go and play, reluctant to join mommy for the learning activities. I get these concerning letters, on a regular basis. Mothers who now have to drag their children to their activities. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">In observing my little ones, I got the answer: Little ones love to explore and investigate new things, and soon start to push mommy to teach them how to write their name, or read, eager to learn simple maths, after picking up how to count spontaneously. With the influence of the school system, and often pressure from family and friends the parent begin formal teaching. After all the child indicated that he/she is ready to learn.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">BUT the school journey very soon become routine work and repetition. In the beginning everything is new and interesting, but then after a few months there isn’t much new, interesting stuff anymore, it is mostly the same work over and over again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">From the mother’s side the workload of formal teaching, is exhausting and frustrating due to a child who now is unwilling to learn and how does she fit in the other children or take care of her home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Our work plan:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stay away from formal teaching for the first 8 to 9 years! Do very little maths, reading and writing - let the child be free to choose and guide you. Create a positive atmosphere of creative playing, arts and crafts, Bible stories and accidental learning of numbers, letters, followed by spontaneous reading, writing and maths. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">These can easily be done by lapbooking and very simple, informal unit studies. Lapbooking and informal unit studies, allow children to explore life around them. Answer their many, many questions incorporated into some kind of learning activity, with very little, to no routine work, especially with boys. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Girls might start earlier with routine work and more formal teaching.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">We’re playing most of the days. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bible teaching is done through <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/04/discipleland.html" target="_blank">Discipleland</a>. <a href="http://www.discipleland.com/" target="_blank">Discipleland</a> is hands on, each age group’s worksheets appropriate for their interests and due to the extra learning activities, not one day is the same! </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">We use <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/10/decimal-system.html" target="_blank">Maths-U-See</a> for maths and we play with the manipulatives over and over again, without me pressurizing to move on. I like to share with you what I’ve observed with each of my children, concerning maths. Each one of them begged me to start maths at the end of their 5th year, just before turning 6. For months they will eagerly learn about numbers and count the blocks. Then like clockwork at the age of 7 they would loose interest. It would appear that they forgot everything. But interestingly, around the end of the 8th year towards 9, it all comes back again. And then they are on the run! They will grab the concepts and in no time catch up with the 18 months they lost interest. During the time they lost interest, I put the books away, till they ask for it again, or I introduce it every 6 months and evaluate the response.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since Afrikaans is our mother tongue, we do <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2009/10/home-schooling-back-to-basics.html" target="_blank">Clever</a> to recognize letters and start simple spelling and “Mart Meij’s Lekkerlees” for early reading, but never on a routine basis. I observed the same pattern, I observed with maths, with language too. But I noticed, the language would often excel during the period the maths stagnate. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Because the first language’s reading and writing only gets established at the age of 9, we <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/07/age-and-second-language.html" target="_blank">never start the second language before the age of 10</a>. Interestingly again, the child is then at an emotional level, that enable him/her to master the second language in no time, without frustration. At the age of 12 no one would be able to say the child only started with the second language at the age of 10. We use Christian Liberty Reading Series’ <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/adventures-in-phonics-level-a/9781930092747/pd/29810" target="_blank">Adventures in Phonics level A</a> and <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/adventures-in-phonics-level-b/9781930092778/pd/29815?event=CF" target="_blank">B</a> and the <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/noah-websters-reading-handbook/9781930092242/pd/29515?item_code=WW&netp_id=136227&event=ESRCG&view=details" target="_blank">Noah Webster’s reading handbook</a> with the <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/phonics-readers-grade-k-florence-lindstrom/9781930092303/pd/50451?event=CF" target="_blank">Grade K phonics readers</a>. For South Africans these books are available from <a href="http://www.christianlibertybooks.co.za/getmodule.php?id=contactus.php" target="_blank">Christian Liberty Press in Cape Town</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">To summarize:</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lapbooking and discovering every day things is the focus, not language and maths. Currently we are learning the days of the week, months of the year, we observe the weather, seasons, as well as what to wear and what is in season to eat. We also learn time and sequences in a fun way, using all 5 senses to reinforce the knowledge. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had an interesting conversation with a mother whose 6year old child is in Gr 1 in the school system, about crafts. Children don’t do starch painting, modeling clay and messy arts anymore. I remember when I was still at that very young age (many, many moons ago!) how I enjoyed it. The first 3 years of school, grades one to three now days, consisted of arts and the occasional formal learning. Tests and exams didn’t exist!! I wrote my first exam in Grade 4.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is a known fact that young adults leaving school, are not capable of spelling, doing maths, or have a love for reading. But at the age of 10 (grade 4) their workload is the equivalent of grade 7, three decades ago! What do we want to accomplish by squeezing in loads and loads of information in an under 10 year old’s little head, while that child should still be playing, making messes? They are not able to concentrate for longer than 10 minutes, but have to sit in a classroom for 6 solid hours!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dear mother allow your child to play the first, almost decade of his life. There are more than enough time to fill their heads with information, at an age that they are emotionally ready to receive the information.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">With much love</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Linnie</span></span></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-20687708864087318732013-02-15T07:37:00.000+02:002013-02-15T07:39:09.774+02:00Balancing Motherhood and Domestic Work<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I get this <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2013/02/ask-me.html" target="_blank">question</a> over and over again! And I have to confess, I don’t know how to do it either! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How am I homeschooling my children and take care of my home, without a domestic worker, add to that a larger family? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So for months I have been trying to get this posting going, but it just didn’t want to happen. It almost felt like the Lord was keeping me from it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I first have to share with you what happened in our life some time ago. It all started with David waking up one morning feeling nauseas. Now I don’t have good memories of a tummy bug. From experience I know this can drag on for weeks in a family of ten. Sure enough, over the next two weeks the children got the tummy bug one by one, sometimes four simultaneously during the early morning hours. To have at least 4 loads of washing ready to put on the line, before sunrise wasn’t unusual. By Tuesday, the last week of November, I was exhausted! There was no linen or blankets in the house that didn’t go through the washing machine during that 5 days, I woke up for little ones several times during the night while normal activities like homeschooling and extra-murals of the healthier children, had to be balanced in between taking care of little ones who felt miserable. By that last week in November my older two children also came down with the bug and almost everything in the house came to a complete stop. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All the time I fervently prayed that the Lord would keep Christo and myself from getting the bug, but by the Wednesday morning I woke up with the symptoms that I treated my little ones for, for weeks. By God’s grace I didn’t get the bug nearly as bad as my children did, but I could barely lift myself from the bed (most probably plain exhaustion too). Wednesday night my family (who, praise the Lord, seemed to take a turn for the good) put me in bed early and that night little Michael, almost 3years old at that stage, slept right through the night. I can count the nights he slept through on one hand, so this was highly unusual! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I remember waking Thursday morning feeling energized, with a heart overflowing with thankfulness to the Lord that He kept us through the past two weeks. It seemed like we were recovering and all was going to be well, again. Heidi-Mari was eagerly getting ready for the Tea Garden she would run for a friend at her Toy Open Days on Friday and Saturday and I just gratefully enjoyed time with my healthy children.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By late Thursday afternoon I was assisting Heidi-Mari in the kitchen, while she baked muffins, when we heard Danika’s bloodcurdling cry…! I immediately knew something seriously happened. She was laying on the steps at the back door, her right arm was underneath her body and it looked funny. Christo arrived soon after and half an hour later we were on our way to the emergency room with our little girl in great pain and distress. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The next 24hours our family went through severe trauma. Danika was admitted to another hospital and into theatre, to operate on her broken elbow. We have not been to a hospital in more than 15 years, and was challenged totally out of our comfort zone. Those of you who know us more personally, over the past 16 years we didn’t even pay a visit to a doctor or used any allopathic medicine, only natural remedies. In the mean time Christo got the tummy bug during the Thursday night… </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By Friday midnight an exhausted Danika and me, thankfully walked into our home and slept for the first time in 30 hours. Danika experienced great pain over the next couple of days and I battled greatly to process the trauma we went through. Everything just fell apart around me. I couldn’t focused, I was paranoid each time a little one fell or hurt himself. I was stressed out. My little ones was out of routine and insecure, demanding and naughty, while I just didn’t know how to take care of them, I couldn’t take care of myself… My dear husband and older children tried everything to keep the home going and did a great job, but it was a huge challenge. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We also planned to potty train little Michael the first week of December, since driving around for extra murals was over, I could stay at home with him and from experience I knew it’s best to potty train a toddler when Mommy don’t have PMS…</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I soon realized I had to lean heavily on the Lord! He was my only hope, the One who sustained me. I counted gifts, let my thankful heart lead me into trusting my Lord and push away my fears. My home was a mess. It wasn’t cleaned properly in a month, meals wasn’t what my family was used too, time for me to do fun things with my children was non-existing, not to mention time to read or encourage myself. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And it is during times like this, that one ask oneself, “What am I doing?”</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is during these times that one feel like drowning in responsibilities and expectations. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is during these times of total exhaustion and when we are <b>out of control</b>, that the enemy of our souls come and lie to us and deceive us. </span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">During this same time a friend of mine experienced exhaustion and discouragement in her family too. And it was while reading well meaning advice on her situation, that I came to understand why the Lord kept me from writing my well meaning advice to mothers on how to balance homeschooling, everyday motherly responsibilities, domestic work and a growing family.</span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I could start to give you all my tips on keeping my home in some order. I could even give you my homeschooling routine and where I fit in the cleaning of our home. I could refer you to sites with how to de-clutter your home fifteen minutes a day or Flylady. But… one thing I realized by the end of last year… It is not during normal every day life that the wheels came off, and mothers don’t know how to cope…</span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">NO!</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is when ‘n crisis situation happens; </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is when the children get sick all together; </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is when mommy is in her first of third trimester of pregnancy; </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is when there is a new born in the home and the home dynamics change; </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is when the financial situation change;</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is when there are outside stress or responsibilities pulling on the mother;</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is when we as mothers are out of our comfort zones, that we don’t cope.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
</blockquote>
And each family cope differently in these out of control, out of my comfort zone situations. No list of things to do on certain days, or tips on how to run your home smoothly, will make a difference during these days.<br />
<br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">But I did identify some lifesavers for traumatic, out of control time of my life.</span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
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<h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This is only for a season, though it may feel like a life time</span></li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I was longing for a baby after CJ and Heidi-Mari at the end of the previous century, the only thing I could think off was, if I have another baby I will be house-bounded for another 3 years! At the end it was for another 12 years! If I knew that then, I would surely have run away! Today I don’t remember the dust on the furniture (they are still there), the dirty windows (the are still dirty), the heaps and heaps of laundry (they only grew bigger over the years) or the evenings I fell into bed next to my husband (I still do) in total exhaustion . I see eight beautiful human beings with a calling on their life and God chose me to give them life and train them for His purpose on this earth. </span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This is God’s way of working in my life, making less of me, more of Him in my life, through serving</span></li>
</ul>
</span></h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Looking back over the past 18 years of being a mother, toiling for my family, I thank the Lord that He chose motherhood as the trial in my life, to make me holy, and get rid of selfishness (which I’m still very frustrated about, not being nearly were I can testify with Paul, I’m content in all circumstances.) Dear mother, God is asking from each believer in Him to lay down their life for Him. Serving my family, is serving God, though it surely don’t come naturally, and asks sacrificing of self all the time. I constantly have to remind myself, I’m serving God in His upside-down Kingdom, where eternity is what it is all about.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLicg6TGzWPC0pi36PkUIke_XzWOcO5ADGYMiTRfMR02IqUAapdH-GDiu8IphgNf9HuI_PljSFKjMfd9YuSwwBMMaQ6GLBRj28ej31sEghCgk1F7tlIa4NvXne2dWW-ttq8klLR6Bq0RE/s1600/IMG_1209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLicg6TGzWPC0pi36PkUIke_XzWOcO5ADGYMiTRfMR02IqUAapdH-GDiu8IphgNf9HuI_PljSFKjMfd9YuSwwBMMaQ6GLBRj28ej31sEghCgk1F7tlIa4NvXne2dWW-ttq8klLR6Bq0RE/s320/IMG_1209.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">Never compare your family with any other family;</span></li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I absolutely love the opportunity to connect with friends over the internet, but one thing is utterly bad: I easily compare my family with another family, my motherly accomplishments with another mother’s accomplishments. Families differ more than we can see on the surface. I’m an ADD person. I’m lured away from my best intention to focus, within seconds. It isn’t in my ability to do more than two or three things simultaneously - though I know mother’s are supposed to multitask as easily as drawing the next breath. The moment I have to multitask I have to remind myself to breathe! There is just no way I can wash floors while helping one child practice the piano, another doing an algebra honours problem and advising another on her grocery list for the weekend’s chocolate creations.</span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For some mothers organizing comes naturally, they can quickly de-clutter in 15 minutes, and then move on to the next thing. Whenever I plan to de-clutter, I end up cleaning the whole room for the next two days!!<br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then there are the dynamics in a home. Some larger families I read about, have 4-5 girls, one or two boys, their homes run smoothly, while practicing hospitality every weekend, and they do that with no effort. In my family of 8 there are only 3 above 10, two of them boys and one very conscientious girl. They are working like mad to help me organize 4 very busy, crazy boys and an artistic little girl, whose head is more in the clouds than with us. I myself just isn't an organised person, I'm all over the place!</span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Add to that the personalities of my children. Now I know God expect us all to grow in servanthood, but you do get some personalities that serve more easily than others. If you have read “Created to be His Helpmeet”, you will know what I’m talking about. I have mostly Mr. Command Men and Dreamers in my home. They don’t make good servants! <br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Have grace on the personalities and home God has given you! This is His best for you, embrace it, for God is always good!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8VuLQn3pB9-cdUpgYyG21aXQkeAmTdKaXx5Lno5vhUAPLxhzgil4juKyP6vaRdWKel6wA09YieKzw1PJaXVD1yD9UAdmoP9rpRuOV7I4s-UGe32fLNnQPLjRK23m3Gj5W7rwp2s-eOU/s1600/IMG_1189.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8VuLQn3pB9-cdUpgYyG21aXQkeAmTdKaXx5Lno5vhUAPLxhzgil4juKyP6vaRdWKel6wA09YieKzw1PJaXVD1yD9UAdmoP9rpRuOV7I4s-UGe32fLNnQPLjRK23m3Gj5W7rwp2s-eOU/s320/IMG_1189.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">Live in thankfulness for the beauty and the ugly beauty;</span></li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">God is always good! I’m quite an expert on the ugly beauty of a homeschooling family of ten, not to say I know exactly how to turn it into an opportunity to thank God, but I’m a work in progress. I’m always reminding myself that thankfulness will change a bad attitude. It isn’t possible to be angry, frustrated and upset, while searching for the beauty in the day, in my children, in my home and my situation and giving God thanks in it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">Don’t try to carry tomorrow’s trouble, today</span></li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Often I hear mothers’ desperate panic cry, I cannot cope now, how will I be able to cope with another baby or when I start homeschooling? I once read a story in one of Corrie Ten Boom’s books how she and her daddy was due to take a trip to Amsterdam. As they prepared to leave their home, she wanted her travel ticket, on which her daddy kindly reminded her, she didn’t need it yet, and he will give it to her when the time is right. She told the story to illustrate that we should wait on the Lord for strength in difficult times and not try to run up front. Her daddy didn’t give her the ticket before they were ready to board the train, and if he would have given it to her before then, she would most probably have lost it. We will receive strength when we need it. If given to us before hand, we just might waste it.</span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So dear mother, don’t despair when a new baby is on his/her way, and you cannot see your way into the new dynamics. It might still be another 6 months, and by then your other children and/or youngest baby, will be 6 months older too, with new abilities you don’t know about now. Don’t run up front by worrying about what if… God is never caught by surprise, He knows the history of the future. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">Take a deep breath and do the next thing;</span></li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When everything and everyone are out of control, and I forget everything that is good, praiseworthy, lovely and true, I take a deep breath and do the next thing. It is then that a schedule is my safety net. Yes, I do have a schedule. I don’t like to work with a schedule, it is far to rigid for this dreamer-kind-of-girl, but when all the wheels come off, a schedule is my life saver. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<li><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">Do have a schedule, or some routine or rhythm.</span></li>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As your capacity enlarge after a traumatic time, slowly get back into routine and before long you look back and you can smile again. Never let a schedule control your life. The schedule is there to help me and I always stay in control of the schedule, not the schedule in control of me. Often, I get energized just by the idea of NOT keeping to the schedule. To take the day off and enjoy life with my children. Add to that my personality virtue/vice of changing things, and I’m able to look past a messy day and seek out something fun to do.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After breaking away from the every day tasks, one often has new energy to tackle the messes around you.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the next posting I will share a little from my schedule and what works for us in keeping some order and cleanness in our busy home filled with little children, older children, homeschooling and creative arts.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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<br />Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-23706450140460329932013-02-12T09:37:00.000+02:002013-02-12T09:38:39.040+02:00FREE Chocolate Unit studies and Lapbook Printables!This week's Free product over at CurrClick is <a href="http://www.currclick.com/product_info.php?products_id=74602&it=1&SRC=Newsletter_FPW_text" target="_blank">Gulliver's Guide to Chocolate Unit study</a>:<br />
<br />
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Ideal for grades 4-12</div>
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Over at Homeschoolshare you can also download a free <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/chocolate.php" target="_blank">Chocolate Unit Study with Lapbook Printables</a>.</div>
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This study is more for younger grades.</div>
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With love</div>
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Linnie</div>
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<h3 style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
</h3>
Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-20895948842826813822013-02-09T16:38:00.000+02:002013-02-09T16:38:28.561+02:00Ask me…<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: justify;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Life is busy in the Lues family. It is the beginning of the year. New routines and little ones, not so little anymore, who want to explore more. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Add to that me being a dreamer kind of girl, who love new challenges and you can see why we do not have one dull moment!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some of the new challenges I took on for 2013:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I started playing the piano again! </span></h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After 30 years!! By the end of last year Andrew started piano lessons. After Danika fell and broke her arm, she was very scared to play tennis again (She fell over her tennis racket, as she ran down the steps). During this time, with the arm in plaster and very little to do over a December holiday, brother Andrew taught her a few notes on the piano and they played together. Needless to say, she asked if she could start piano lessons too. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then I got inspired and decided to join them. I absolutely love it!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I started memorizing scripture. </span></h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When CJ had his first drivers license test in August, I was nervously waiting in the car, desperately praying for God’s hand on my son. That morning I experienced the emptiness of not being able to recite scripture, that could give me peace and sooth my soul. A few weeks later the little ones started memorizing scripture as part of Discipleland. I was amazed how easy they memorized passages of scripture. Fast forward to the night of the 30th of November. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Danika was laying on a hospital bed, in much pain and agony and we started to recite our bible verses. The effect was amazing!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">January I read about the <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2013/01/the-1-habit-god-really-wants-for-your-new-year/" target="_blank">Romans Project</a> by Ann Voskamp in partnership with <a href="http://scripturetyper.com/Groups.aspx?access.code=f31a87a113" target="_blank">Scripture Typer.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The challenge to memorize Romans 1, 8 and 12 in 52 weeks! Scripture Typer allows you to create verse collections for yourself. So while I’m memorizing Romans, I’m also memorizing verses on Motherhood and Encouraging verses to keep me going in tiring circumstances. It also have an iPhone application, so I’m able to review my verses anywhere, anytime.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I joined another book club by Sally Clarkson. </span></h3>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By the end of last year I joined the <a href="http://www.itakejoy.com/dancing-with-my-father-book-club-chapter-1-vlog/" target="_blank">Dancing with my Father club</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was so inspiring to join women around the world seeking God and His joy and strength in all circumstances. This month I joined the <a href="http://www.itakejoy.com/announcing-the-desperate-book-study/" target="_blank">Desperate Mom club</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hope for the Mom who needs to Breathe. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m also in the early stages of helping my husband with the bookkeeping of our health shop and look forward to play with the numbers.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In all this, my main focus is homeschooling my 8 very active and inquisitive children. Oh, how I love to homeschool them! The <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-year-of-charis-grace.html" target="_blank">name of this year is Grace</a> and I experience the Lord’s gentle lead to extend grace to my family very real, to be in the moment, to slow down. Experiencing my Father’s grace all around me, while counting my second round of One Thousand Gifts.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As you might have realized, I don’t blog so often any more. This is partly because time is very limited, but I also came to identify my natural tendency to rather talk on a one to one basis, answering questions. I miss my blogging, and this bring me to another new challenge I want to take on for 2013.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I want to base my blogging on your questions. </span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While I’m only in the beginning of the Desperate Mom book, it is evident how much we as mothers need each other. We need each other to give us Hope and encouragement. To remind us of THE HOPE we trust in, while raising our children in the {often} loneliness of our homes. We need to remind each other to breathe!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you would allow me, I would love to answer your questions on raising children (while raising my own on a trial and error basis), homeschooling, home keeping and family meal times. I just want to encourage you in your high calling as a Mother and being your husband’s Helper.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So if you would like to ask me, send me an e-mail at my <a href="mailto:blog@aboverubies.co.za" target="_blank">blog address</a> and I’ll see if I can answer a question or two, once a week. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All questions will be treated as Anonymous. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Please let the questions be very specific. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To all you beautiful ladies, have a blessed weekend!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span><br />
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-88137848840845320712013-01-20T17:17:00.003+02:002013-01-21T07:11:47.121+02:00Motherhood: The Most Important Career in the Nation!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">At school I visited the school vocational counselor quite a few times and my parents even paid for an independent vocational counselor, in an attempt to determine my talents and gifting and what career I should enter after school. My first choice was to become an actuary</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I absolutely love numbers, looking for patterns, solving problems, but in the middle 80’s you could only study actuary in the United Kingdom and there was no way my parents could send me to the UK.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Becoming a dietitian, helping people, sounded like a good idea and I enrolled at the medical school of the University of the Free State. After four years I graduated and started working in the state hospital where I got my training. It was interesting and I especially loved working with the little children who had cancer and diabetes, but it wasn’t my passion. Eighteen months after I graduated, we identified the need for someone to take care of the financial side of Christo’s business - designing and servicing medical equipment at that stage. I resigned at the hospital, doing the bookkeeping at Christo’s business, while practicing as private dietitian at an infertility unit, a few hours per day. I loved the combination and got much satisfaction out of my two jobs.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In 1994 I fell pregnant with our firstborn, after a miscarriage, the previous year. At 28 weeks I got bladder infection and almost went into premature labour. Fortunately, my gynecologist friend at the Infertility unit, where I practiced as dietitian, recognized my symptoms. I was admitted to hospital immediately and they could stop my dilation. The weekend after they discharged me, we counted the costs of me doing two jobs. Though I enjoyed it tremendously it was stressful - and I didn’t do it primarily for the money. We decided I would stop being a private dietitian and I would just take care of the finances of our business, after all numbers was my first love.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By the end of 1995 we moved to Cape Town and Christo started a shop that sold men’s toys, telescopes, knifes, etc. I still did the bookkeeping of our business, at night, after my baby boy fell asleep and Christo could keep an eye over him. During the following years our family business changed from selling men’s toys, to running a health shop, we surrendered my womb to the Lord and I started homeschooling our 3 children at that stage. Often Christo would need to do courses over a weekend or for a few days in the week and then I tried to run the health shop, with 3 little ones, 6 and under, playing at my feet. This was not at all an ideal situation and I was freaked out. By the end of 2002 we realized this is not going to work.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Christo, gifted in researching, gathering information and problem solving, took over the bookkeeping and got an assistant in the shop. I was now exclusively homeschooling our children, having more babies and Christo experienced the awesome grace of the Lord in the financial management of our business, while he is not at all gifted or talented in that area. Over the years we often talked about my gifting of working with numbers and the obvious growing need for me to be more involved in our business. Not only in the financial management, but also in consulting mothers, due to my experience with raising 8 children, with colic and severe food sensitivities for 18 years and counting. But each time I felt the pull to become more involved in our family business, we discerned the much bigger need of taking care and educating our precious children. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With my older children becoming young responsible adults, helping big time in our health shop and the little ones not being babies anymore, I helped Christo put up a new bookkeeping system for our shop over the past two months. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On Saturday morning I went with Christo to the shop. What an enjoyable time I had! I had the privilege to give some advice to a few clients, out of my own practical experience; chat with a rep and got very excited about possible promotions for the shop; and enjoyed every second of streamlining our bookkeeping system. As I sat there, I realized what an absolute joy and satisfaction it would be to work in our health shop. It is all my passions in one. I love share and give people advice, I have the dietitian background and personally worked through health issues for years with pregnancies, births, babies and food allergies and sensitivities. Then there is my first love of working with numbers, not to mention what a relieve it will be for my husband when I take over financial management, after all it is my gift and talent, not his. Gifts and talents given to me from the Lord with a reason, right?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But, stronger than my longing to move into the business again, was the knowing my first calling, passion and responsibility is with my precious children - the eternal Gifts God gave Christo and me, with a reason! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How often women today argue themselves out of their responsibility and calling of being a full time mother, taking care of the bringing-up and training of their children themselves, with the exact same passion and longing I experienced over the years. God gave each of us gifts and talents and He commanded us to not hide it under a pile, remember?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Absolutely right, with just a slight change of accent. We need to remember as women why God created a Man and a Woman. Both are created in the image of God. The man to present the character of God as Father, the woman to attribute to the feminine character of God as Nurturer. In this we are created in the image of God, each of us has personal gifts and talents. Now we must remember nowhere in the Word of God, God ever contradicts His own words. For that reason we must always evaluate a topic/situation with what the WHOLE WORD OF GOD says about that topic/situation. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Women are created to be Nurturers, Care-takers, Home Makers. Whether they are mothers or not. Did you notice great women of the past, like Mother Theresa, represent the nurturing character of God even without carrying a baby in her womb? A woman doesn’t need to give birth to a baby, to present the image of God. All the talents and gifts a woman is bestowed with is for this one and only reason, to take care of God’s creation in a nurturing and loving way. And when you are blessed with the privilege of giving life to a little person and become a Mother, it is the calling on your life to take care and nurture that child, no matter what the longing of your heart outside the home. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The longing in my heart to go into the market place, look rather dim and dull, when compared to the eternal value of pursuing the calling on my life of taking care of my children myself. There is no greater career in the world than parenting my children. When I’m training my children for the Lord, I’m in His perfect will. A Mother’s faithfulness in her home will have its impact on earth and also in eternity. It will change the world!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m so blessed to have my children around me every moment of each day, though often feeling totally overwhelmed by tiredness and frustrations, it is the most precious time of my life. I cannot think of anything in my life that can be more meaningful and more joyful than these wonderful days. These days that make the never years. Never enough money, never enough time, never enough sleep - but always enough love!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">These are the busy years, the wonderful, hectic, impossible years. But soon my children will be grown up, I already experienced it, and then I’ll have plenty of time to cultivate my outside passions. And then I wonder, will it be so wonderful as I sometimes dream it will be? Aren’t I in the middle of the most wonderful years, right now?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Bearing and raising my children is a long-term investment - in fact an eternal one! Often an unknown concept in our culture where everyone wants everything to happen instantaneously. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">....Many of us have never been taught to believe that someday we will have to give an account to God, face-to-face, for the </span>spiritual<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, emotional, and moral work that we steward in the lives of our children. The souls of our children will last for all eternity, and if we believe Scripture to be true, the way we shepherd them will undoubtedly have repercussions far beyond our lives here on earth. - Sally Clarkson</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We must come to think long term. In my current season I’m privileged to taste the sweet fruit of a young adult, raised for 18 years in my home. These were often lonely years, where someone seldom noticed what I did, doing the same old thing every single day. I have another 18 years of raising children before me, I also have the opportunity to, in a very small way use some of my talents and gifts in my husband’s business, and I can boldly say, I still choose to use my talents and gifts in my home, where the influence goes on into the generations and even into eternity. I just have to trust the Lord that He will take care of financial managements, while my heart, soul and body are at home, with my children.</span></div>
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Every Mother loves her children</span></i></div>
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not every Mother loves Motherhood.</span></i></div>
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<i style="font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0px;">- Nancy Campbell</i></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">Dear Mother, you might be struggling with some of these conflicting ideas of loving your career, even believing your are at the exact, sweet spot of using your gifts and talents; while desperately loving your children, but unable to say yes for going home and spending your gifts and talents there where no one noticed, raising and educating your children in the ways of the Lord. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Think long term!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Step into the perfect will of God. Sacrificing your personal longings and preferences, for the higher purpose of bearing and raising eternal souls for the Lord.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rejoice and be glad in your high and noble calling as a Mother.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">You have the most important career in the nation!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Your are changing the world!</span></div>
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With Love<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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Linnie</div>
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<i>"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."</i></div>
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<i>Matthew 6:33</i></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-46900019675619154512012-12-31T16:57:00.000+02:002013-01-09T22:02:28.086+02:00The Year of Charis. Grace<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">In November a tummy bug swept through our home. It started with one of the little boys waking me one morning with: "Mommy I'm nauseous..." I frantically cleaned up after him. Sent everyone out of the room. I did everything in my power to avoid the other children getting this too. Everything went well. Three days passed, no one else got sick. Then Wednesday afternoon, as we were preparing to visit the dentist, my little girl bent over with tummy ache. "Mommy, I'm not feeling well..." As I cleaned up, I tried to convince myself, it was only an anxiety attack, she feared the dentist, the drill, the injection etc. Nothing to worry about. Then on Friday night our baby boy laid weak in my arms, and without warning it came. My big girl cleaned up, while baby boy and me got in the bath. Everyone was helping. Me to deeply in need to send anyone away in fear they will catch the germ. During Sunday night three children came down with the bug and before dawn three loads of washing were ready for the washing line. Praise the Lord for extra linen and an automatic washing machine, working all by itself while I tried to get some sleep and listened for the slightest sound of discomfort from my little ones. By Tuesday I've cleaned the home from top to bottom, loaded the washing machine more than I could count, washed hands over and over again, but still all 10 of us got the tummy bug!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How does one know where the germs’ hiding place is? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How do I get rid of that which is unknown? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So much havoc caused by that which cannot be seen.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This past year was the <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/12/year-of-eucharisteo.html">year of <i>Eucharisteo</i></a> - thankfulness. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was no easy year. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Two <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/02/hard-thank-yous.html">miscarriages</a>. Dreams trampled in the ground, leaving nothing more than me with empty heart and, empty hands. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A son who <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/05/emotions-of-mother-of-young-man.html">entered adulthood</a>. Quite challenging to watch him in his independence. Could this be, my firstborn baby, dependent on me for everything, now driving himself to where he needs to be? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/12/christmas-for-glory-of-god.html">little girl breaking her arm</a>, my sensitive one. The one who so easily get worried and stressed out. Also the one to whom taking care of others come as second nature. How do I comfort her in her pain, while waiting in uncertainty for when they will take care of her?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In this all, and much more, <i>Eucharisteo</i> was the <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/09/hope-and-2012-update-on-lues-family.html">life line</a> to my loving Father. The window through which I could look into heaven. See Him taking care of me. The mirror of His love reflecting on to me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">But then in my thankfulness I identified my biggest need... As I observed God’s grace to me, I identified my need for grace.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Eucharisteo</i> in the original language means “give thanks”.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The root word of<i> Eucharisteo</i> is <i>Charis</i>, meaning “grace”. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It isn’t possible to live in <i>Eucharisteo</i>, without <i>Charis</i> - grace. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I counted the gifts of thankfulness, I saw God’s grace in the every moments of my life. And I realized I’m lacking grace on my loved ones, grace on myself, grace on friends and acquaintances. Big time. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m very much a <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/02/im-control-freak.html">control freak</a>, <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/11/expectations-and-perfectionism-grace.html">a perfectionist</a>, hard on myself, hard on every one around me. I like things to be done the correct way, little mistakes… little grace.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I know all the verses, I'm memorizing them, I know the truth, I know my Father of grace. I know the amount of grace I have for others, will be be given to me... And when I'm trying hard, be intentional, I'm capable of walking in that grace, but what about those tiring, overwhelming moments, when grace just slips through my fingers, robbed from me, even before I owned it?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m frantically trying to get hold of grace. Almost like getting hold of the germs in my home, that month of November.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Where is grace hiding from me? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Without grace there is havoc in my life, in the life of my loved ones, loss in relationships.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How do I practice more grace?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Might there be more to this walking in grace? Something deeper? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I'm yearning to truly possess grace and gradually I came to identify it. Grace is in the here and now. In the hurry and running around of every day life, grace is missed. That is the story of my life. I’m constantly rushing to the next thing, missing the now, due to what happened a few minutes ago or because of what need to be done a few minutes from now. But what about the now?</span></div>
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<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"Life is not an emergency.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In our rushing, bulls in china shops, we break our own lives.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Haste makes waste. The hurry makes us hurt.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Whatever the pace, time will keep it and there’s no outrunning it, only speeding it up and pounding the feet harder; the minutes pound faster too. Race for more and you’ll snag on time and leak empty. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hurry always empties a soul.” Ann Voskamp</span></b></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I often run on empty, exhausted, little left to give, but I thought it was because I’m to slow. It might be the contrary:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>“Life is so urgent it necessitates <i>living</i> slow.” Ann Voskamp</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What if I intentionally focus to be slow? Yes, life in 2013 will be busy! Little children are demanding, unable to provide for their own needs; foolish in their actions, getting into trouble in no time; then there are my older children who needs more of my undivided attention, more of my mothering instinct to recognize their unspoken emotional needs. </span></div>
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<b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">"Life is not an emergency. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Emergencies are sudden, unexpected events - but is anything under the sun a surprise to God?” Ann Voskamp</span></b></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is where I need my training for 2013. A whole new mindset on the ‘emergency’ situations in my home. What if my goal is not for me to get everything under control, but to slow down and take care, thank God for the moment of being even more dependent on Him and making a difference in the life of my loved ones.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Taking in the moments with my large family, the good and the bad. Let these moments, which I already know are filled to the brim with God’s grace, fill me with grace. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have no idea how I’m going to do it, but I’m surely willing to learn and eagerly looking forward to master the how.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This year I will name - Grace. I will deliberately walk in slowing down, experience the grace. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Living in Eucharisteo, took me a whole year to accomplish, and I'm only at the beginning. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May the Lord in 2013 grant me the grace to hurry less, slow down more, experience more of His grace, extended His grace more to my loved ones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; letter-spacing: 0px;">It is my prayer that the Lord may also reveal to you more of His Grace in 2013. A Blessed and happy</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> New Year!</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-82653515468809418562012-12-24T06:33:00.000+02:002012-12-24T06:33:57.743+02:00Christmas for the Glory of God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It was December 2000. We were a family of 5, Daddy, Mommy, boy 6 years, girl 3 years and Baby boy, 4 months. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It was the year we started our health shop, after our Men’s Toy Shop (selling telescopes, knives, etc) went under. We lost almost everything - our home, as well as our vehicles. They say it takes 1,000 days for a new business to prosper, and we had just started our Health Shop a 100 days ago. We experienced what is was to live in total trust, that God would provide for our every need.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That Christmas we didn’t want to put up the Christmas tree. We had to move to a smaller house the end of that December, so we were in the process of packing up our home, but the main reason was there was no money, for even the smallest present. We didn’t even know where we would get the next month’s rental and there was the bare minimum in our food cupboards. We didn’t want to give the children an expectation, followed by disappointment and explain to our little son and daughter the situation. They were so brave and submitted to our decision without any complaining. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then about 2 weeks before Christmas, little CJ came to me. With tears running down his cheeks, he asked me if we could please put up the Christmas tree. They knew there would be no presents, and that is okay, but they were longing for the excitement and festive atmosphere created by the tree and sparkling lights. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I couldn’t say no, and immediately put up our 2m Christmas tree. We decorated it with joy and the children sat in delight watching the lights. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since it was holidays, our small health shop, still very unknown to the public, was very quiet. We had to save up every sent we got to pay our rental deposit on the 1st of January and there was almost no food in our home. This was a time of great dependence and trust in the Lord. As a result, early on the Wednesday morning before Christmas, I sat down and made a groceries list. After I wrote down everything we need for the next two weeks, I put it before the Lord and ask Him to please provide. This was setting the scene for a miracle, there was absolutely no money.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By 12 O’ clock I got a phone call from our pastor’s wife. She just came back from her ladies’ Bible study group. It was laid on the hearts of the ladies in her group to put money in an envelope for the Lues family and she was asked to bring the envelope to our home., directly after Bible study ended. I still remember how I slowly got on my knees after putting down the phone and praised our mighty Lord. That same afternoon I put my children in the little car we borrowed from Christo’s niece, went to the grocery store and witnessed a miracle. I could buy every single item on the grocery list I made earlier that morning, and the money was the correct amount, to the cent!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With joy and gratefulness my little children and I unpacked our groceries, me explaining all the way how this was only possible because our God in heaven know us and care about us.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then the next morning our pastor called. He was calling on account of a member of our church, who wished to stay anonymous, and till today he is still unknown to us. This Brother in Christ made out a check to be paid in our bank account. We could use the money for whatever our needs might be, BUT it is his wish that we first buy Christmas present for our children! As I sit here writing this, I’m crying again, remembering that moment in time. The amount he gave us was quite a lot of money. It was enough to pay our rental deposit, the rental for January and buy our children presents that exceeded our expectation! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">That Christmas was the most amazing Christmas. We experienced Immanuel, God with Us, and our children were in awe of what God had done. They knew the evening we dropped them at their grandparents, that we were on our way to go buy them Christmas presents with money provided directly from our Heavenly Father and they had a first encounter with the grace of God. Undeserved grace.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The day after Christmas we earnestly started to pack up our home and move from our spacious rental house with a swimming pool and jungle gym, to a small 2 bedroom granny flat. Our rent was paid, but still there was no extra money and we would have to move our home without a moving company and we didn’t anticipate any help since all our friends were enjoying their festive season. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Again the Lord surprised us beyond our highest expectation. A few days before we had to move, another family in Christ called us, informing us that a group of families had put together money and hired a moving company to move our things on the 31st of December to our new home. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">God was demonstrating to us His blessings as we had never experienced before. Up to then, Christmas was all about ourselves, but that Christmas we were at the receiving end and we were blown away with the way God used people to take care of our needs, the basics and beyond!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since that very special Christmas we as a family came to understand it is more blessed to give than receive and started to walk in it.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Over the following Christmases we reminded our older children of that special Christmas and shared with our younger children the miracle of that Christmas. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This Christmas we experienced a similar miracle.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As many of you know, Heidi-Mari finds great joy in her gifting of working with chocolate. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Over the past 18 months we attended numerous Lindt chocolate courses and she loves to make chocolate truffles, moulded chocolate with fillings and chocolate candies. Unfortunately it is not possible to work with chocolate in summer months without an air conditioner to cool down the room, to the low 20degrees. We tried to earn some extra money for buying an air conditioner, by selling her homemade cards, but that didn’t succeed. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So we decided to just wait on the Lord till there was enough funds to buy an air conditioner for our kitchen. And God provided, but from a total different source. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Two weeks ago a friend’s husband, who saw and tasted her moulded chocolate, asked her how she was doing with her chocolate. In their conversation she mentioned that she is currently limited in what she can do, due to not having an air conditioner in the kitchen. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Last week this friend’s husband gave Heidi-Mari an air conditioner! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Years ago a Pastor with 7 children was asked how he provides for his family. He comment, “God is providing for my children, and my wife and I are joining in the blessing.” We can testify for that. The Lord provided for Heidi-Mari to be able to work with chocolate in the hot summer months, and the rest of the family is enjoying the blessing of a cooler home!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Four weeks ago Danika (9) fell off the steps at our back door, and seriously broke her right arm. It was quite a challenging 48 hours, being in a hospital the first time in 15 years, the scary experience of my little girl receiving anesthetics (not one of my children ever had anesthetics up to now) and being operated on. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was a heart breaking incident, seeing my little girl in so much pain, while waiting for hours for her turn on the emergency theatre list. In this all God was unmistakably present! I experienced Him going before us, not being cought by surprise at the series of events and gave thanks in every moment. But little Danika was tested big time in practicing a thankful heart, giving her every fear to the Lord, since she has a very sensitive personality, always taking care of every one else around her, but in herself can get stressed and worried very easily.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Saturday after she broke her arm the Thursday, Brother CJ encouraged her to enter a Lindt Chocolate Colour-in competition with her left hand. With great excitement we drove to the Lindt Chocolate Studio the next Saturday, bought a 100 g Lindt Chocolate Bear which has to accompany the entry and submitted her entry. We almost forgot about the entry, when we got a phone call on Friday morning. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Danika was one of the 10 children who had won the colour-in competition. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">She, as well as this mother was overjoyed! The Lord was taking care of my little girl in her distress and met her in her trial! He blessed her with being praised for her effort of coloring with her left hand, while she was feeling worthless, not able to do anything for herself or any one else, due to an arm in a sling. Again we experienced the Lord’s overflowing blessing. Danika’s prize was 100 mini Lindt Bears and the whole family is enjoying the blessing! It is giving her the biggest pleasure to surprisingly give away her Lindt Bears to whomever she wants to!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A week ago our family visit friends at the other side of the mountain, for the first time. The children had a ball. The older children went to play tennis with the dads and the little ones played on the jungle gym and in the swimming pool, under the moms supervision. Now when we moved from our spacious rental home, December 2000, we sold the children’s jungle gym too. For years to come, I mourned the loss of my children’s jungle gym. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As my friend and I watched the children climbing up and down the gym, I started telling her how we are currently saving up money to build the children a jungle gym, on which she said, “You know, this gym is on my ‘get-rid-off-list’ for the new year, you can have this jungle gym. Our children has outgrown it now.” You could push me over with a feather! I was looking at the gym and it had everything we wanted on our gym. We just had to dismantle it ourselves and arrange transport to our place. How blessed can one be? Was this really happening? My children soooo wanted a jungle gym, but we have not been able to afford it yet, and here the Lord was organizing one for them, for FREE!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This past Saturday the men went fetching the gym.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since then the little ones are playing non-stop on their jungle gym! </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The time of Christmas is such an amazing time of showing good will and blessing people. It is a time that people are more vulnerable and open to giving, as well as receiving. I love this time and rejoice in the wonder of being able to bless friends, neighbours and strangers - showing them more of Jesus. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But I’m also thankful for Immanuel, God with us; Mighty God, who rule not only the Universe, but in each of those who love Him; Jesus, the Saving One and my Savior, who show Himself to be a sure Presence in our lives.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">May each of you have a blessed Christlike feast!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>“5 One person esteems one day above another; </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>another esteems every day alike. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Let each be fully convinced in his own mind… </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, </i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Rom. 14: 5-13</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-64672952406714572372012-12-03T07:03:00.000+02:002012-12-03T12:53:07.714+02:00The How-To-Lapbook and Our Bird Lapbook<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The little ones was asking me about birds, nests and eggs some time ago. When we drove past thorn trees on our way home, shortly there after, David and Andrew kept asking questions about the how, where and why of nests and birds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: center;">This keen interest they took in birds sparked me to let them study birds and compile the information in a lapbook.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I got beautifully illustrated books from the library and used them to guide me in planning the lapbook.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>The books I got:</i></span></h3>
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Voëls</div>
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Voëls vir Beginners in Suider Afrika</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Voëls van Suider Afrika</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Life Circle of Birds </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Learn About Birds</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We focused on:</span></i></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The characteristics of a bird</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Different feathers;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The life cycle of a bird;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hatching;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What birds feed on;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Different birds, different beaks;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What do birds use to build a nest;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Different bird nests;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Habitat of birds;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Endangered birds.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Obviously there were much more I could teach them, but I decided these were enough for now. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">They each connected the dots to form a bird and then coloured it. We also talked about the parts of the bird - the beak, feathers, legs and claws.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We went with CJ to the horse farm and collected feathers while studying the different feathers. Since then they do not miss a feather at any given moment in time, at any place and would compete with each other who shout out first what kind of feather they picked up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;">I tried to use <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/lapbooking_resources.php">interesting folds</a> to illustrate the life cycle of a bird, </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">the stages through which the egg go while hatching </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">and how the baby bird developed.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Then we studied what birds feed on and how that influence the bird’s beak.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We categorized bird’s feeding into 6 groups: Nectar, insects, seeds, fruit, fish and prey eating birds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: justify;">It was amazing how they, afterwards, were able to categorize any bird and its feeding just by looking at its beak and how they felt empowered by their knowledge.</span></div>
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We studied bird nests and what common material birds used to build a nest.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">When looked into how different birds would build varying nests to suit their needs.</span> </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>We made<a href="http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/2010/04/yummy-birds-nests.html"> eatable bird nests</a> from marshmallows, butter, cornflakes and coconut. They enjoyed it so much and talked for days about the fun they had.</div>
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Then one bright, sunny, winter morning, following a stormy weekend, David discovered an abandoned cup nest and woven nest next to our conifer trees. </div>
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At first they were overwhelmed to be able to investigate the nests, then it dawned on them that it was the home of a bird, destroyed by the weekend’s storm and they were saddened.<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But shortly after they discovered another nest, this time in the passion fruit bush next to our home. On top of it there were baby birds in the nest! They discovered the nest, by observing the one parent bird flying into the bush with a worm hanging from it’s beak! Over the next week or two they had the privilege to witness the growth of the little baby birds and eventually leaving the nest.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> It was interesting to them that the parent birds abandoned the nest, after the babies left the nest.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As a final activity we looked at what kind of birds would live in different habitats, taking into account their beaks and preferable feeding, as well as their nests. They absolutely loved identifying the birds for different habitats. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We looked at 8 different habitats: </span></div>
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Fynbos (since we live in the Cape), </div>
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The <span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>forest,</div>
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fresh water, </div>
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sea and coast,<br />
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The desert,</div>
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grasslands,<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>The Karoo</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQKds4ueRMdKHX_VAdKGW6BaeKvATFObkjG_XTsgk6RrpHL27gw_B2ASQQRrA99RYKn7UPMVuY2O0r0qnZem7hDtdplcf5lprPaJMo9fb0cpHxE2eYsGbKjWyYmiFEo9C2cywgOosYQU/s1600/IMG_9752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQKds4ueRMdKHX_VAdKGW6BaeKvATFObkjG_XTsgk6RrpHL27gw_B2ASQQRrA99RYKn7UPMVuY2O0r0qnZem7hDtdplcf5lprPaJMo9fb0cpHxE2eYsGbKjWyYmiFEo9C2cywgOosYQU/s320/IMG_9752.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And common birds in the City<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I kept the fold with beaks and feeding next to them, while identifying the birds. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI15OY3A7Dp7izgBtzrSOWccPm0OvFigp0_o2iStRoKBGAYqTJ4k2u_HkLKVXoYXXcSS_nMAnXHZVmjApVcqQaTco5FRSc9gUss__62_uDbke7KVMHT6hNvB1GUvX7C4fFyb0Chb9gxys/s1600/IMG_7540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI15OY3A7Dp7izgBtzrSOWccPm0OvFigp0_o2iStRoKBGAYqTJ4k2u_HkLKVXoYXXcSS_nMAnXHZVmjApVcqQaTco5FRSc9gUss__62_uDbke7KVMHT6hNvB1GUvX7C4fFyb0Chb9gxys/s320/IMG_7540.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> It was so exciting to see them identify a bird, on behalf of its beak, feeding and habitat.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Lastly we looked at four endangered birds and why birds are becoming extinct. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YEdE__ISdie80vTFCAHKTb4t7R0_8NssxvETf-_V6C7iSF5slxYCtU4D0pMj8ZDJDk6iAYS_bQMs0KCIAiKYPRXmEW-La3rBpmTy7lELqKqsulb5kU6k3VPzw0n-eD4iASMc6UIgd9o/s1600/IMG_9729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-YEdE__ISdie80vTFCAHKTb4t7R0_8NssxvETf-_V6C7iSF5slxYCtU4D0pMj8ZDJDk6iAYS_bQMs0KCIAiKYPRXmEW-La3rBpmTy7lELqKqsulb5kU6k3VPzw0n-eD4iASMc6UIgd9o/s320/IMG_9729.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It made a very strong impression on Andrew, and currently he is convinced his calling in life is to stop people who cause birds to become extinct. We also did a field trip to SANCCOP and they loved to see the penguins and different sea birds so close up. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">They also had many days painting different kinds of <a href="http://www.arthursclipart.org/birds/birds/page_01.htm">birds</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5JPQLrrzWYNGmOyshzitA1utyB4GwfrgzzSNKstbHlhjgMuO6cpsJ0CeqosLmULmcVrSAT9qtXiv0sjFRuhFc9xsuAxvvrDaF88iRAOGnezLF9IkIKXhePAPucp_BZZV80YgeB1UJ-s/s1600/IMG_7781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5JPQLrrzWYNGmOyshzitA1utyB4GwfrgzzSNKstbHlhjgMuO6cpsJ0CeqosLmULmcVrSAT9qtXiv0sjFRuhFc9xsuAxvvrDaF88iRAOGnezLF9IkIKXhePAPucp_BZZV80YgeB1UJ-s/s320/IMG_7781.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was pleasantly surprised by the learning that took place while doing the bird lapbook. At the end of the day they would narrate the day’s teaching with much excitement to daddy.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEily5h4BZvK2dg08ZsdcnDn9s3qMecnzzzoxXQWZ1LSeoAr_1hyphenhyphenFUzwXTHBgqjCAwC40iQI9zsthW3NYFFhLPO9oeK9vZSkAy0bsyVfbem_WuvXdbyae9TB_6sx0OY0LViUQqX-OIWuq0A/s1600/IMG_1349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEily5h4BZvK2dg08ZsdcnDn9s3qMecnzzzoxXQWZ1LSeoAr_1hyphenhyphenFUzwXTHBgqjCAwC40iQI9zsthW3NYFFhLPO9oeK9vZSkAy0bsyVfbem_WuvXdbyae9TB_6sx0OY0LViUQqX-OIWuq0A/s320/IMG_1349.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">They remember every piece of detail, while working on the different folds and their level of attentiveness to birds and nests convinced me yet again that lapbooking is one of the best ways of making learning fun, exciting and effective for little ones.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Compiling a lapbook from scratch can be overwhelming. Since putting a lapbook together is hard work and takes many hours, I have a few things I do and keep in mind while in the planning process, to make it a success.</span><br />
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The Planning Process:</i></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I mostly do <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/p/lapbooking.html">lapbooks</a> with my younger children 10 years and younger and let their interests guide me when choosing the theme of the lapbook.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The different kinds of folds you use in a lapbook makes the lapbook interesting, so I try to use as many different folds as possible. <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/blog/?p=1805">Here</a> you will find 100 pages of FREE Lapbook Templates you can type on! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I will search the internet for lapbooks with similar themes, by making use of <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>. </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I will pin the different folds suggested to illustrate facts on a theme, on a board, for future inspiration and reference. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The more you look at other lapbooks, the more creative your lapbooks become. <a href="http://www.homeschoolshare.com/index_lapbooks_master_list.php">Here</a> you will find a master list of Free Lapbooks!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Get as many books on your lapbook theme at your local library and your personal library as possible. I then scan these books and put together a draft on what I want my children to learn through this lapbook. Since I’m a very detailed person, I constantly have to remind myself this is for little ones, and they DO NOT have to know everything there is to know about the theme. Keep it simple, short, colourful and interesting. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Let your children be involved in as many different activities related to the theme as possible. Not all lapbooks render itself to multiple activities, but if possible, the learning experience will just be some much more powerful. I remember doing the<a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/09/crafting-activities-while-making-farm.html"> farm animal lapbook </a>with my children. Oh, we did lots of extra activities! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One is not always able to capture all these activities in the lapbook, but they remember each activity as soon as they start paging through their lapbooks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><i>Pitfalls while busy with a lapbook:</i></b></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Do not let the lapbook take weeks to finish. I want it to be so interesting and packed with information, and as a result it can take me days to put together a specific activity/fold and the children will get frustrated and loose interest. Keep it short simple.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As soon as I think I’m finished with a lapbook, I get an idea for yet another activity. In the process the lapbook don’t get to be finished. For this reason it is vital for me to put together a draft of what I want my children to know, and put together a lay-out of the lapbook before hand. I then discipline myself to stay with the lay-out and get the lapbook done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Books that helped me:</i></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Ultimiate Lap Book handbook, by Tammy Duby and Cyndy Regeling;</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dinah Zike’s Big Book of Projects, by Dinah Zike;</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Big Book of Books and Activities also by Dinah Zike.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>What Other Homeschooling Mothers did:</i></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Since I’m hosting the November Homeschool Blog Carnival with the theme Lapbooks, I’m so excited to share with you more ideas on Lapbooks, contributed by other Homeschooling Mothers</span></div>
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Donette Bell from <a href="http://www.frog.za.net/thejourney/">The Journey</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> did a small lapbook a while ago: <a href="http://www.frog.za.net/thejourney/?p=1983">Basic South African Lapbook for her preschooler</a>.</span></div>
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Nadene Esterhuizen from <a href="http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/">Practical Pages</a> (and this blog is packed with practical pages about homeschooling) shares her <a href="http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2012/11/12/free-parables-lapbook/">latest FREE lapbook - Parables</a>.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>Nadene also shares <a href="http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/time-saving-tips-for-doing-lapbooks/">Time-saving tips for doing lapbooks.</a> She finds this method makes lapbook time so quick and simple. </div>
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<a href="http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/store-lapbooks-notebooks/">Here</a> are photos and suggestions for how Nadene store their lapbooks. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And here Nadene shared some template posts</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/:http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/minibook-master-template-download/">Minibook Master Template Download</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/make-unusual-but-simple-books/">Make Unusual but Simple Books</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://practicalpages.wordpress.com/2010/04/08/one-page-minibook-templates/">One-Page Minibook Templates</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hayesfamily.co.za/blog/">Taryn Hayes</a> from Hayes Happenings encouraged her children to make an <a href="http://www.hayesfamily.co.za/blog/2012/06/alpacas-at-helderstroom/">Alpaca Lapbook</a> after visiting an Alpaca Farm in the Western Cape and received snippets of alpaca fibre and yarn to take home, along with a little fact sheet.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> This was a first for the Hayes children and they were very proud with there finished products.</span><br />
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Elize Van Der Merwe<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> who blogs at <a href="http://bearakademie.wordpress.com/">BEARAKADEMIE</a> shares a post on their first proper lapbook. <a href="http://bearakademie.wordpress.com/2012/11/24/october-2012-our-first-proper-lapbook/">Here</a> follows the short story on the creation of their Creation Lapbook, which they all enjoyed doing in the end! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This post features on the South African Carnival of Homeschool Bloggers (SACH Bloggers) where South African homeschoolers share experiences, ideas, philosophies and much more. You can join the carnival too by heading to the <a href="http://www.hayesfamily.co.za/blog/?page_id=10003">South African Carnival of Homeschool Bloggers sign up page.</a> </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We hope you enjoy the carnival as much as we and m</span>ay all these amazing ideas and tips, inspire and motivate you for your next lapbook.<br />
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With love</div>
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Linnie</div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-24567515248925539462012-11-04T17:27:00.000+02:002012-11-05T20:32:15.260+02:00Expectations and Perfectionism; Grace and Let Go<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I’m a Passionate, Dreamer kind of girl, with a wild imagination, high expectations and seldom satisfied with second best.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I was a young girl my Mother believed I could do anything. I was told I had a high IQ, and soon what was expected from me, became my inner motivation to be the best. I only needed to put my everything into whatever I wanted to achieve and accomplished more than the average. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sadly, it didn’t turn out to be the case. Though I worked very hard, often paying the high price of sacrificing fun and social activities, I ended up to be just your average student. Over the years a pattern was established. I couldn’t put off these high expectations, this urge to be perfect, but was always aware that I will most properly not succeed. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Expectation is a set up for disappointment. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My battle with conflicting emotions was an ongoing process: I was an Opportunist, with this very real underlying pessimism. As a result I was constantly disappointed in myself, giving place to a low self esteem. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Whenever opportunity knocked at my door, I would rush in with wild ideas and great expectation, reaching for the perfect outcome. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlRFlJSj7puAen2dvRMpM7ubi-_wtywgCFokvm5LmwQaBZPZS0_cLkEuLEX-l0fvyiC7Zd4_figcUVj79O0ZXbiCoP-xsImMiDEvQm6DbtSwkDiwBuIbas9s1d49zks0qDCFvobTLq8k/s1600/IMG_9264.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlRFlJSj7puAen2dvRMpM7ubi-_wtywgCFokvm5LmwQaBZPZS0_cLkEuLEX-l0fvyiC7Zd4_figcUVj79O0ZXbiCoP-xsImMiDEvQm6DbtSwkDiwBuIbas9s1d49zks0qDCFvobTLq8k/s320/IMG_9264.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then a wave of incompetence, doubt and hesitation would gush over me, leaving me almost paralyzed from my own insecurity.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Over the years, under the loving, steady, believing influence of my husband, I learned to suppress the emotions of insecurity and low self-esteem. I drew strength from his trust in me as a Human being, created in the image of our God, walking in the calling of my life.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But, I never got delivered from the monsters of perfectionism, expectations and low self-esteem each time I failed. As soon as life got hard, making unexpected twists and turns, I would have to fight the battle of worthlessness, despair and anger; trust leaking out like water in a broken vessel. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then a year ago I was challenged to read Ann Voskamp’s <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/one-thousand-gifts-book/">One Thousand Gifts</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/one-thousand-gifts-book/"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiBu92Gm50rGpq01c37TFG3croyX2y2afP59-iJoBntchjV6-k3NMz2k9tLGKoIbztM5UwEw8bYhYC8UfTMYS5i-AJiPEJHLB299yLG6bv7Ia7g1IEK2GTnSshh_AhrS6L7I-4gG7a54/s320/5357907266_4514a9cf9f_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was introduced to the amazing wonder of naming the things I’m thankful off. Living in <i>Eucharisteo</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>Eucharisteo</i> - thanksgiving - always precedes the miracle, and <a href="http://backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2012/02/hard-thank-yous.html">I experienced it</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But there was another layer. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had to read all the way to the ninth chapter. It caught me totally by surprise! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Expectations kill relationships”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ann Voskamp shares about her valley wise and grief traveled mother: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">“I’ve known expectations as a disease, silent killer heaping her burdens on the shoulders of a relationship until a soul bursts a pulmonary and dies.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Isn’t this so true? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My expectation in a situation, in people, in God, constantly robbed me from simply receiving what is gracefully offered to me by a Gracious, loving God. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Often these expectations are birthed in self - demanding my will; the belief that I deserve more. Simply put - pride.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And I read the convicting words:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Only self can kill joy”</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“The demanding of my own will is the singular force that smothers out joy - nothing else.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Pride slays thanksgiving, … A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And I had to let go. I had to let go of expectations, my will and everything I thought I deserved. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp_HMs7HynsTE90aSzyt3yUOcB4a3lKFxMuUrzloNYVDqCuNBfbSvvbFgS4CYjMUeGgx8HoNyCPk2mq_-KmC6ztPgGooo2Z8TOTA2MPb5VCgB9jAoVyzOxcQ-jQhkfiRiJ23oTyOxaGQ/s1600/IMG_9188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp_HMs7HynsTE90aSzyt3yUOcB4a3lKFxMuUrzloNYVDqCuNBfbSvvbFgS4CYjMUeGgx8HoNyCPk2mq_-KmC6ztPgGooo2Z8TOTA2MPb5VCgB9jAoVyzOxcQ-jQhkfiRiJ23oTyOxaGQ/s320/IMG_9188.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And I read more:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Is it only when our lives are emptied that we’re surprised by how truly full our lives were?</span></span> <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Instead of filling with expectations, the joy-filled expect nothing - and are filled.”</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">“Thankfully, God never gives what is deserved, but instead, God graciously, passionately offers gifts…”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I had to face the truth:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is all grace. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It has nothing to do with how good or bad I am and when I fail I’m worthless and a failure. I have to open my hands and let go, and only when I open my hands and let go of ME, will I be able to receive. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And I’m in desperate need to receive.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">To.Receive.God’s.Grace.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And extend it to myself.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/10/what-you-need-to-fly-new-one-thousand-gifts-journal/"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuT-g-yjgmN7vK6nqCvsVrbpGdoUqhlrAW6ej4l5ziWLGTlGPhlKA7V3fieESHqFLl5c0qpjcOopPHGWEEkBfgq8O2VtKcc6lrgTVWVDeGN0SyPv8DdaoxnUG3mr2OHEMFKi-DguHfDqo/s320/557568_518998314779014_1503958059_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And this is why Counting the Gifts is slowly changing my life. I’m not nearly there. I’m a doer, I’m always on the hurry. Being in a hurry, running for the next best thing, kills my joy in the moment. But when I count the gifts, I stop and realize, Life is not an Emergency <i>(Ann Voskamp)</i>. My life is filled to the brim with God’s Gifts to me, gifts of grace.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And as the end of this year is drawing near, <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/2011/12/year-of-eucharisteo.html">2012 which I called Eucharisteo</a>, I’m thinking of next year.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Possibly the year of Grace?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/10/what-you-need-to-fly-new-one-thousand-gifts-journal/">Extending grace to myself?</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">But not only to myself, also extending grace to my love ones - to everyone around me.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Because, I’m a work in progress…</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_VXQToGqGzQENqT3X8_M0gYvGj5u_hzx_0OsrZRv6i0G9hnMNZZP0odu7-C9pwOCGWdHdmefqnxiENjst4wXxmS_zkRG28EI_N6fHFz23ZvK5NxsO5OlYtrp8pBhbeWDWdqmNxp14cE/s1600/IMG_6826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_VXQToGqGzQENqT3X8_M0gYvGj5u_hzx_0OsrZRv6i0G9hnMNZZP0odu7-C9pwOCGWdHdmefqnxiENjst4wXxmS_zkRG28EI_N6fHFz23ZvK5NxsO5OlYtrp8pBhbeWDWdqmNxp14cE/s200/IMG_6826.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">My Conviction:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">“...the secret of joy’s flame: </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Humbly let go</b>. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Let go of trying to do <i>(my expectations);</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> let go of trying to control <i>(this control freak);</i></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">let go of my own way <i>(my perfectionism);</i> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">let go of my own fears <i>(not trusting God, because expectations kill relationships - especially with God.)</i>” </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Ann Voskamp, <i>italics my words added</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This posting is linked to:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/11/the-holiday-that-could-become-all-of-our-days-change-our-lives/"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsn0dGr39BEG9vhXy0CzJBnKnoBzfZ13Rk_i0OKPsDvUqWzJt4TSPa9rBJkp-nG4Wmrf3wkKmsyDKKjhwFM9qwoIApTeVRYMDyK2skmPt2kvw0ojmyqgPO2SXdu_hGRqVkY902NFOwDI/s320/multitudesonmondaysbutton2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-56926005421243298092012-10-28T21:14:00.002+02:002012-11-02T16:45:52.673+02:00Choosing the Right Homeschooling Curriculum (Part 1)<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Over the past month I met with quite a number of families new to homeschooling.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">It is so great to see the excitement and passion with which these parents embark on this amazing journey with their children. It is thrilling to see how all kinds of families choose to homeschool from all walks of life, but one thing these families have in common is their confusion when choosing the RIGHT curriculum on a journey that is so unfamiliar and uncertain. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What should one take into consideration when choosing a curriculum?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">1. Curriculum must serve you, you are not to serve the curriculum</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I often see families who are burned out within 18 months after starting homeschooling, because they experience bondage to the curriculum they chose. From as early as a mere 5 years old, families want to put their little ones onto a formal curriculum, mostly due to the pressure of families and friends’ whose children went to school at that age. Within a very short period little ones of 5 or 6 years old, as well as young teens, will experience resistance to education when it is expected of them to work for hours on prescribed subjects, they often don’t even have an interest in. The children will need to perform like puppets and the mothers become discouraged to motivate their children, while trying to comply to the standards and tests of the curriculum they have chosen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">2. Let your children’s personality and learning style guide their curriculum</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Each child has a natural appetite for all knowledge, reflect a part of God’s creative nature and has a God-given curiosity, within their unique learning style. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_wcy29YSiyP3f5zlEGiUx4QA9710Avu_dQ2kqpDraxqk5Zv8fG_sbfblbKIo36uXocuCXP2aBXaOeY1_F8707h39_BJ5fvnhvVSg9rW4M_qVsCxL6USz1hMahxZmXRl2cXwts2gO7bg/s1600/IMG_9144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_wcy29YSiyP3f5zlEGiUx4QA9710Avu_dQ2kqpDraxqk5Zv8fG_sbfblbKIo36uXocuCXP2aBXaOeY1_F8707h39_BJ5fvnhvVSg9rW4M_qVsCxL6USz1hMahxZmXRl2cXwts2gO7bg/s320/IMG_9144.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Homeschooling is such an opportunity to use this hunger for knowledge, creativity and curiosity and let children discover their talents and gifting in the safe environment of their home and under the loving, caring eye of their parents. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Choose a curriculum in which you can develop their minds to the full, by taking into account your child’s learning style. When a child is allowed to discover in the way he is a natural learner, learning will be fun and enjoyable for the child. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">When we just start homeschooling twelve years ago, we had the privilege to meet Martie Du Plessis from <a href="http://www.dynamislearning.co.za/">Dynamis</a> who </span>specialised<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> to help home educating families discover their learning styles. We learned any child has the preference to learn </span>kinaesthetically<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">, visually or audibly. Most of my children are </span>kinaesthetic<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> and visual learners. As a result reading aloud is quite a challenge. They will not sit still and all of them want to see the pictures. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If I wasn’t aware of their lack of preference in audible learning, I would have taken all the fun out of reading, by being extremely strict. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On top of that you get children who are <b>thorough, structured, systematic, analytical and objective</b>. These children want as much knowledge as possible and thrive on organization and time to complete their work. Unreasonable deadlines and being rushed will stress them out. This child might look like the perfect homeschooling student in the digital era. They always have their knowledge ready, they analyze data before making a decision and are able to conceptualize ideas. This child of mine made it quite easy on me to look like a ‘successful’ homeschooling mother, who did everything ‘right’.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Then you get other children who lean more by being <b>adventurous, curious, innovative and creative. They are quick, intuitive and instinctive.</b> They thrive on inspiration, independence and freedom to choose options. Excessive restrictions and forced routine just kill their creativity and learning experience. This child is quite a challenge to homeschool. They might give the impression of being stubborn, uncompromising, impulsive, not a team worker and asking too many ‘why questions’. Your typical child whom they put on mind altering drugs at the age of seven. But if you can appreciate their sense of humour, multidimensional personality and creativity within their independence, you might just be able to raise quite a remarkable young adult who has the ability to change the world.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You might have a <b>hardworking, organized, accurate and consistent child. They are dependable, conventional and factual by nature.</b> They thrive on predictability and schedules. You will stress them out by too much to do when they do not have a clean and quiet place to learn, or an example to work form. I have one of these children. Due to these children’s natural organizing skill, productivity, ability to complete their tasks with ease while focusing on detail, I cannot cope without them in my home.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">You might also have a <b>sensitive, compassionate, sentimental and imaginative child. They are perceptive and spontaneous, the nurturing type.</b> They thrive on praise, working together and having the opportunity to be creative. I cannot imagine how my home would have been if I didn’t have this child in my home. They spontaneously understand other’s feelings and are constantly concerned about others. Quite an asset in a busy home of ten.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Just imagine if I had not been aware of these differences in my children and I tried to teach them all in the same way? Homeschooling would become drudgery, a burden.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">How will the above knowledge, applied to your children, influence the curriculum you choose?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">3. Choose a curriculum which spark them to discover as a natural, enjoyable part of family life.</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Homeschooling is real life, don’t you agree? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I often hear mothers’ concerns that life gets in the way of their homeschooling, and they are stressed out due to lengthy periods of time they are not able to do as much learning as what was ‘scheduled’. That is exactly how it should be - LIFE IS SCHOOL. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Clay and Sally Clarkson compiled it beautifully in <a href="http://www.wholeheart.org/educating-the-wholehearted-child-third-edition/">“Educating the WholeHearted Child” </a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">A curriculum making use of real life will always raise a child who does well on the test of real life.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The curriculum you use should allow you to use real life to spark your children to discover and learn. I’m constantly attentive to what my children are interested in and to use that interest to make them learn. Currently my home is filled with silkworms on all kinds of shapes and sizes, and we are learning, without my little ones even knowing it. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">A few months ago it was birds and bird nests.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">We just returned from a short visit to George and Knysna, during which they applied so many of their knowledge gained over the past few months - lets call it revision. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Years ago when I started homeschooling CJ our oldest child, I read Clay and Sally Clarkson’s <a href="http://www.augustine.co.za/index.php/books/education-homeschooling/educating-the-wholehearted-child.html">“Educating the Wholehearted Child”</a>. I loved their Home-Centered Learning Model. In this model they focused on five study areas as the child develop in their learning ability.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><i>Discipleship Studies</i></b> - The solid foundation for learning, with the purpose of shaping their hearts. You can never try to fill a child’s mind with information and knowledge, if you don’t shape his/her heart first.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><i>Disciplined Studies</i></b> - The study of the ‘basics’ or 3R’s (<b>r</b>eading, w<b>r</b>iting, a<b>r</b>ithmetic) and thinking, with the purpose of developing your children’s foundational learning skills.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><i>Discussion Studies</i></b> - The study of the humanities - history, geography and fine arts, with the purpose to feed your children’s minds by giving them the best in living books.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><i>Discovery Studies</i></b> - The study of learning - nature, science, creative arts, all interests with the purpose to simulate in your children a love for learning by creating opportunities for curiosity, creativity and discovery.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><i>Discretionary Studies </i></b>- the finishing in the study of living, home and community life and life skills, with the propose to direct your children in developing a range of skills and abilities for adult life according to their gifts and your family’s circumstances and resources.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">These 5 study areas come very natural in normal family life. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The curriculum you choose should never isolate your child from real life.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">No matter what kind of curriculum you choose, it will ask lots and lots of sacrificing from the parents. There is no easy curriculum with little involvement, minimal financial costs or no preparation which will equip your child for life. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I love how Clay and Sally Clarkson phrase counting the cost of homeschooling in their book Educating the WholeHearted Child:</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The cost of ministry</i> - Willing to minister to your children… to become a servant like Jesus, giving up your own life for your children?</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The cost of lifestyle</i> - Willing to accept, along with the joys and blessing, the limitations and sacrifices of the homeschooling lifestyle?</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i>The cost of commitment </i>- willing to take a step of faith, trusting God to provide and intending in your heart to persevere in that decision?</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Are you willing to pay the cost?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px; text-align: justify;">5. Let the curriculum shape your children to become everything God wants them to become and able to walk in the calling of their life.</span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The current trend in education aims to produce adults whom will have a ‘decent job’ and earn money to make a living. How about educating your child to discover the calling on their life and walk in it, whether it is to fill a job of create a job? Whenever a person discover the calling on his/her life, they will be satisfied, fulfilled, content and at peace. That is how God intend it. Many people I know at the age of 40 are discontent and searching for purpose, mostly because the first part of their life was all about labouring for a perfect job, a perfect life, which at the end didn’t satisfy or brought along the peace they were longing for. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Homeschooling is the one place where we as parents should aim to expose our children to as many opportunities as possible, so they can: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0px;">Discover their gifting and talents, which will direct them to their purpose in life and give them the satisfaction of seeing God work through them, changing the World.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwETh0pw8uSuNZnvCzaITmKRV1NYw-Y6Wl2ilSXngpL5HuLr_pHZQj3dQhfC_LA9LyuQtN0er-uwx9lUPeHNzgT5a4h4ev2SfdbpNNV7iYWtsTbPZIPgUR3KQ3RcU5kLZmEQBuOyl6Dw/s1600/SAblogsbutton1001.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwETh0pw8uSuNZnvCzaITmKRV1NYw-Y6Wl2ilSXngpL5HuLr_pHZQj3dQhfC_LA9LyuQtN0er-uwx9lUPeHNzgT5a4h4ev2SfdbpNNV7iYWtsTbPZIPgUR3KQ3RcU5kLZmEQBuOyl6Dw/s1600/SAblogsbutton1001.png" /></a>This post features on the South African Carnival of Homeschool Bloggers (SACH Bloggers) where South African homeschoolers share experiences, ideas, philosophies and much more. You can join the carnival too by heading to the <a href="http://www.hayesfamily.co.za/blog/resources/information-about-home-schooling-in-south-africa/sa-home-schooling-blog-carnival/">South African Carnival of Homeschool Bloggers sign up page</a>. We hope you enjoy the carnival as much as we have! Read more from this October 2012 Carnival <a href="http://trixishomeed.blogspot.com/">here</a>.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Linnie</span></div>
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9012334330669695120.post-81643574048115351542012-10-26T11:43:00.000+02:002012-10-26T11:43:30.495+02:00Books that Influenced my Life (Part 1)<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">I absolutely love reading!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I was still a little farm girl, my Dad built me a treehouse and I would spend hours in there reading one book after the other. Both my parents loved reading. Since we lived on a farm, my mother would drive into town every Friday afternoon to get supplies for the next week, and we would not head home before we stopped at the local library! It was the highlight of my week. The library was a double storage building, the adult books on the ground level and children books on the first floor. I almost ran up the stairs to see what books I could find. As I grew up, I loved to read “Ou Kaapse Verhale” (Stories on the early days of the Cape of Good Hope), always fiction, as my mother was always reading fiction. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">After I got married, Christo challenged me to read non-fiction. I wasn’t keen at all, I loved my fiction, and after all I read for the enjoyment and because I’m a dreamer. It took Christo 8 years, about the time when we started homeschooling, before I realized how I could empower myself by reading non-fiction books. Since then I read mostly non-fiction and only allow myself two Christian Fiction books a year. One in June and one in December. Mainly because I get so involved in the story, I easily loose track of time and are irritated when I’m interrupted. During the June and December holidays I can pace myself better in the more relaxed holiday atmosphere.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I often find myself not being able to read for a week or two, due to life’s happenings and hanging around on facebook or blogs. During these times, I become more easily irritated and rushed. I need my time-out sessions of reading and filling my mind with wisdom, but I’ve realized if I don’t make time to read, the time to read will just run out like an hour glass. Since establishing habits in my life is often my life saver, my goal is to read at night, half an hour before we go to bed.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Not only do I benefit from challenging and encouraging books, my children also benefit when they see my love for books. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It is interesting to observe families, when the parents love reading, the children will often follow in their footsteps and love books and reading too. I cannot think of a better gift I can bestow on my children than to spark in them a love for reading.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">About two weeks ago, we painted our bedroom and had to move our book shelf from one wall to the other. While I was at it, I reorganized my books. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Y2Zb4LNl7ToxJVMoO7P-fEmVfl7K_WApHLG1_namQHH_fU6Kd3zgmC_qbz-Y70JaCJHysFfNL5MKdmq9LMffGuBMSz6K5BL9MPQgkRF4ykZaE0voiF4GowQxMqEqxsNjo6ARP5uy3iE/s1600/IMG_9283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Y2Zb4LNl7ToxJVMoO7P-fEmVfl7K_WApHLG1_namQHH_fU6Kd3zgmC_qbz-Y70JaCJHysFfNL5MKdmq9LMffGuBMSz6K5BL9MPQgkRF4ykZaE0voiF4GowQxMqEqxsNjo6ARP5uy3iE/s320/IMG_9283.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What a joy! I cherished the memories I recalled as I picked up each book and put it back on the book shelf with respect. I value each one as a very precious treasure, which guides me on my journey to maturity and making responsible choices in life.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I thought it good to share with you some of the books I’ve read over the years and which changed my life. Since there are quite a number of books I’ve read, I will cover the books in a mini-series. It is my prayer that you will be blessed by reading about these treasures. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I would like to start this mini-series with one of my two biggest passions in life: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large; letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Homeschooling</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When I started Homeschooling my children 12 years ago, a good friend (new at that stage) recommended I read <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-successful-homeschool-family-handbook/raymond-moore/9780785281757/pd/81754">The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9UHT-LqDbFnwhRInui91TDQosZxXbF5YOTRiST5vkmpqEvozi7PRmZoW09_HcUWhrfr-kRXePGkkovClOVJeCgG3lVJDAnby138jJDhXdKNBw3ZVlztazXwJOw4I5nkiw7wCTs7GuoU/s1600/81754_w185.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9UHT-LqDbFnwhRInui91TDQosZxXbF5YOTRiST5vkmpqEvozi7PRmZoW09_HcUWhrfr-kRXePGkkovClOVJeCgG3lVJDAnby138jJDhXdKNBw3ZVlztazXwJOw4I5nkiw7wCTs7GuoU/s1600/81754_w185.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This book is a true treasure! It eased my concerns of ‘am I able and equipped to homeschool my own children’ in the chapter, “Of Course You Can Do It!”. It also answered my question, “When Are They Ready for Formal Learning?” as well as the almost constant question by friends and family. “How Can They Possibly Be Socialized?” This book truly laid a foundation for truthful thinking around home educating my children.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The same friend who recommended the Moore’s book, gave me a very powerful book: <a href="http://cadroncreek.org/shop/50-veteran-homeschoolers-share-things-we-wish-wed-known/">50 Veteran Homeschoolers share Things We Wish We’d Known, compiled and edited by Bill and Diana Waring</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_GFdzbwF4j2zrwtgJug4SMUjtKtREvTQ2AwlF7cthLTROFnewU6DOD1gUXIPk2387f0u5G5zxMnUiFBBdsjOSJThwsHPL5Q1r2zAxNMOhF3Z9IJ6CpoZiQy_rUQ7ZLNvRTS8mn9C7RI/s1600/61P09B6N1RL._SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_GFdzbwF4j2zrwtgJug4SMUjtKtREvTQ2AwlF7cthLTROFnewU6DOD1gUXIPk2387f0u5G5zxMnUiFBBdsjOSJThwsHPL5Q1r2zAxNMOhF3Z9IJ6CpoZiQy_rUQ7ZLNvRTS8mn9C7RI/s320/61P09B6N1RL._SS500_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Wow, what a fun reading book filled with truths that opened my mind to think out of the box and sparked in me a passion to homeschool my children. (Homeschooling the children was my husband’s vision, not mine at that stage. I only acted in obedience.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Following on the chapter in the Moore’s book on “When Are They Ready for Formal Learning?” I got hold of the bright yellow, precious little book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Better-Late-Than-Early-Education/dp/0883490498">Better Late Than Early, by Raymond and Dorothy Moore</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVptRkgbsLL3lspFLBrU6falBStNQmqL81HyDEWbKsMckPIfWsgx6DSA7lWE-4b5007wYfdbj_V7PTiX4P6mM59VP_l1SJJ4z2dNEa4RBmlUjXWX7Ycsh-1NqLLdEu02bkrDMQqqMUS9s/s1600/41RQ474E3ML._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVptRkgbsLL3lspFLBrU6falBStNQmqL81HyDEWbKsMckPIfWsgx6DSA7lWE-4b5007wYfdbj_V7PTiX4P6mM59VP_l1SJJ4z2dNEa4RBmlUjXWX7Ycsh-1NqLLdEu02bkrDMQqqMUS9s/s1600/41RQ474E3ML._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This book nailed it for me and since then I was sold out to only start formal educating my children at the age of 10. Before that age I allow them to play and let them guide me in what they want to learn about, which by the way is more than I can fit in, in the few years before they are 10! The interesting part was how each of our children after the age of 10, just flourished in their home educating and catch up with much ease on the years they played and received little formal education. Especially in reading, writing and maths.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the mean time Christo and I was involved with Walk through the Bible ministries and received a teaching, <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-seven-laws-of-the-learner/bruce-wilkinson/9781590524527/pd/24529?product_redirect=1&Ntt=24529&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP">The Seven Laws of the Learner, by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoeidJg4RvTjrPwYF1Uq2m-xS-eVckw0B82eT6sDJnxka4Gyq8EhdxPF1ivIaiFFDbXfQD342TIAVouCF6LAGhOrfzDrc3wo_VA5mCGxFie-8VhbcaFVsO7Om9BTGUpPn3bDwkTLT1QU/s1600/24529_w185.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoeidJg4RvTjrPwYF1Uq2m-xS-eVckw0B82eT6sDJnxka4Gyq8EhdxPF1ivIaiFFDbXfQD342TIAVouCF6LAGhOrfzDrc3wo_VA5mCGxFie-8VhbcaFVsO7Om9BTGUpPn3bDwkTLT1QU/s1600/24529_w185.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The #1 truth I got from this teaching was, I as the Teacher are solely responsible to make my students (children) learn. When my children don’t understand a concept or enjoy their learning, I have to be creative in making them understand or initiate change so they have a positive learning experience. For example if my child doesn’t get the aha of understanding a math concept, it isn’t his/her fault, it is mine and I have to keep explaining until he/she understands. (By the way this is exactly what Steve Demme from <a href="http://www.mathusee.com/about-us/">Math-U-See</a> promote with every lesson - look out for the aha moment, that is when a child’s brain ‘switches on‘ to the explanation of a maths concept, grabs it and ‘sees’ the answer.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A book that benefit me big time in practical homeschooling, teaching models, teaching methods and learning styles was <a href="http://www.wholeheart.org/educating-the-wholehearted-child-third-edition/">“Educating the Wholehearted Child”</a> by <a href="http://www.wholeheart.org/about-whole-heart/">Clay and Sally Clarkson</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGARLGbyEFAVfz79ipGeaKE-oEpc8A6q-_jPgy3WG8juwOKpdsqryoGQjZV0JN8x71168G-Ln0fbszqg4-c485QvspF0Ph9ML9i-sdj61gDOpG1_HGriwpNbfUrCMzzBFukXgYVqK7nI/s1600/437020_w185.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOGARLGbyEFAVfz79ipGeaKE-oEpc8A6q-_jPgy3WG8juwOKpdsqryoGQjZV0JN8x71168G-Ln0fbszqg4-c485QvspF0Ph9ML9i-sdj61gDOpG1_HGriwpNbfUrCMzzBFukXgYVqK7nI/s1600/437020_w185.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I became aware of the importance of first reaching the heart of my child, before I try to fill his/her mind with information. This book benefitted me as it pointed out to me the difference between my education (Public education), how I was used to be educated and the education I’m going to give my children (Home education). If I was not aware of the huge difference between these two methods of education, it would greatly have handicapped our home education. It also eased me even more on “Yes, of course I can do it!” The Clarkson’s visual presentation of the Home-Centered Learning Model, became our education model, incorporating Discipleship studies, Disciplined studies, Discussion studies, Discovery studies and Discretionary studies and making it our learning lifestyle.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I strongly recommend this amazing book.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I implemented the Home-Centered Learning Model introduced by the Clarkson’s I recognized the value of <a href="http://www.backtoancientways.blogspot.com/p/lapbooking.html">Lapbooks</a> as part of discovery studies. The books that helped me tremendously in the art of lapbooking was <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-ultimate-lap-book-handbook/tammy-duby/pd/862001">The Ultimate LAP BOOK handbook, by Tammy Duby and Cyndy Regeling</a> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSBbE_o3cN9OdIYu3kvV0_nOu-0Qaf_ncReMf5K0E_KLqGxf-IqX_0p7hx8MmFDaRSCxrUCZ1K2Na_hKpOSU8tT8T5vL0B93LnuiwbWWXFYzeqQlS1dHggBiXQm67B-zUY-41ch26muA/s1600/862001_w185.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSBbE_o3cN9OdIYu3kvV0_nOu-0Qaf_ncReMf5K0E_KLqGxf-IqX_0p7hx8MmFDaRSCxrUCZ1K2Na_hKpOSU8tT8T5vL0B93LnuiwbWWXFYzeqQlS1dHggBiXQm67B-zUY-41ch26muA/s1600/862001_w185.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Big-Book-Projects-Kindergarten/dp/1882796039">Dinah Zike’s Big Book Of Projects, by Dinah Zike </a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSUnvRMtKZwt9Unf09ruB7lhghRhbv2gbQjM9BuqTXh1IxgZvaonwDzbS2iA94XqEJeB1qQZhYsG1vaoK8iV6JoASTQfyZRlellQHf_eBIIvFc_yQyanQwlu-7ZcgpdTiQKwhxMSJJDg/s1600/36d2c060ada0d2c788fc9110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSUnvRMtKZwt9Unf09ruB7lhghRhbv2gbQjM9BuqTXh1IxgZvaonwDzbS2iA94XqEJeB1qQZhYsG1vaoK8iV6JoASTQfyZRlellQHf_eBIIvFc_yQyanQwlu-7ZcgpdTiQKwhxMSJJDg/s320/36d2c060ada0d2c788fc9110.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Books-Activities-Illustrated/dp/1882796071">Big Book of Books and Activities by Dinah Zike</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_aVoGpEGzFm3TT8PQOcBon1XaLcKa0zDe2myHjDuo6DXF2izQhpwRTi8eH6NnFDEw3H3KIekw2O_Hgw9ibgNeT5GnCVfFNZvnr6oFnBKd_kg0bsnV8e2uCDiAmxCCwrt2zT716zoDVs/s1600/8a7b810ae7a0aac2e8fc9110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_aVoGpEGzFm3TT8PQOcBon1XaLcKa0zDe2myHjDuo6DXF2izQhpwRTi8eH6NnFDEw3H3KIekw2O_Hgw9ibgNeT5GnCVfFNZvnr6oFnBKd_kg0bsnV8e2uCDiAmxCCwrt2zT716zoDVs/s320/8a7b810ae7a0aac2e8fc9110.jpg" width="243" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Two more books that complemented my library on the How to Homeschool books were <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/life-skills-for-kids/christine-field/9780877884729/pd/884722">“Life Skills for Kids”, by Christine M. Field</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRyE5oEIaLfSZBhtea9V52DaDvEYsYWJwgzahbzTdN5KHOD5ze3HFme_DIGMjZqLI9xnrRKmorBZeRN6eIrgZaciR7D02OT-N5xQKaDLoCnFOMG_ePNGeVB1AKyXflYVUXW0hLIPYKEE/s1600/884722_w185.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRyE5oEIaLfSZBhtea9V52DaDvEYsYWJwgzahbzTdN5KHOD5ze3HFme_DIGMjZqLI9xnrRKmorBZeRN6eIrgZaciR7D02OT-N5xQKaDLoCnFOMG_ePNGeVB1AKyXflYVUXW0hLIPYKEE/s1600/884722_w185.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=Drawing+with+children%2C+by+Mona+Brookes&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCG&nav_search=1&cms=1&search=">Drawing with children, by Mona Brookes</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6QEDYM8L-IfgtApPb3y0mIzxqCNVmjXVsN-13S33PM2VzwAHR7ix283EcsDTsCRpdQGt5J0iKTvoQ8WKs__Oc8U8tcqjiyS6UNJQBnV5JfeVb0VXSgpTWlCipBmjdiZnQzZ1WFGYVmE/s1600/747201.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6QEDYM8L-IfgtApPb3y0mIzxqCNVmjXVsN-13S33PM2VzwAHR7ix283EcsDTsCRpdQGt5J0iKTvoQ8WKs__Oc8U8tcqjiyS6UNJQBnV5JfeVb0VXSgpTWlCipBmjdiZnQzZ1WFGYVmE/s1600/747201.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">As this journey of homeschooling prolonged, I realised it is a lonely, exhausting journey, which could leave me depleted from creativity, energy and joy, unless I have a bottomless Source from which I can withdraw in all the season’s I face in a year. Fortunately, over the years the Lord called amazing women to step forward and share and encourage us Homeschooling Mothers from their experience. One such lady is Sally Clarkson from <a href="http://www.wholeheart.org/about-whole-heart/">Wholehearted Ministries</a>, read more on her blog <a href="http://www.itakejoy.com/">I Take Joy</a>. Sally wrote a few books which not only empowered mothers in their high calling as a Mother, raising the next generation who will change the world, but especially homeschooling mothers. Three books stood out for me: “The Ministry of Motherhood”, “The Mission of Motherhood” and “Season’s of a Mother’s Heart.” More on these books in the session on Motherhood/Parenting.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I also draw much encouragement from the little book, <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/101-devotions-for-homeschool-moms/jackie-wellwood/9781581341393/pd/41394?product_redirect=1&Ntt=41394&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP">One Hundred and One, More Devotions for Homeschool Moms, by Jackie Wellwood</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rDHLFhbEZg_TP_bJKHSsprTBnU0REDBIroMnww3487Bw3H30u5SdqXVgq6uo_sWpQJ4fo-vyC2RrjJcgykQhEILvXN6ON_JX7RTUBvIxi_126GwDMqrO4Mi0I09bkqNbmRCGKPyLfps/s1600/41394_w185.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rDHLFhbEZg_TP_bJKHSsprTBnU0REDBIroMnww3487Bw3H30u5SdqXVgq6uo_sWpQJ4fo-vyC2RrjJcgykQhEILvXN6ON_JX7RTUBvIxi_126GwDMqrO4Mi0I09bkqNbmRCGKPyLfps/s1600/41394_w185.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">And a book that stood out in my journey as a homeschooling mother according to God’s heart is <a href="http://www.titus2.com/homeschooling-with-a-meek-and-quiet-spirit.html">“Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit” by Teri Maxwell</a> from Titus 2 ministries. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Read more on <a href="http://www.titus2.com/corners">DAD'S AND MOM'S CORNERS</a>. In this book Teri (mother of 8) identified the three main robbers of a meek and quiet spirit: Fear and Worry; Disorganization and Anger. This book spoke into my heart loud and clear.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the next session I will share with you the books that spoke to me on Motherhood. How some laid the foundation and other built on my understanding of the high and noble calling on my life - Being a mother who love and nurture my children.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">With much love</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Linnie</span><br />
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Linniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227452590098182324noreply@blogger.com1