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Chrissy asks: I was curious what kind of things do you do during the day with your little one. Do you work on anything educational or just teach her as you go.  Do you just let her be a little one without structured learning yet.  I am not for sure of her age.  Just curious?

Karis is currently only 14 months, so I have not as yet scheduled any structured activity time. As she becomes more interested in reading together, I will be start incorporating more things this fall. She is not at that stage yet where she can sit still for very long periods of time.

I love giving Karis a good amount of time to play by herself near by me. While I am making dinner or such, she will be exploring. She loves learning how to take things out of the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen and put them back. This is all part of her learning experience. It is also refreshing to allow her the opportunity to entertain herself without my constant involvement.

That being said, I am just beginning to use materials such as Slow & Steady, Get Me Ready by June Oberlander (thanks to Stephanie’s recommendation), which has wonderful weekly activities for ages 0-5. I have noticed that it assumes your child can walk at one year, week 1, which is really not that realistic for Karis right now, so I have starting back in the 0-1 category.

Just yesterday we sat down and played with different containers and lids and talked about taking the lids off and on, and which lids go on which containers, and allowing her to take them off and on. This activity was working on such skills as matching, eye-hand coordination, learning to follow instructions, etc. She really enjoyed it, but again, only lasted about 10 minutes. It was a fun learning activity, and this book is full of simple activities like these.

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This is part 3 and the conclusion of a series of posts on education. Part 1 & 2 focused on my educational experiences. Part 3 concludes with delving into considering college for young ladies.

What are the important things to consider when making further educational choices? Is college the right pursuit for a young lady? When evaluating these questions for yourself or for your children, please prayerfully consider these thoughts that I have gleaned as I have studied the Word and other resources. I don’t assume to know what God might have for everyone, but it is important to weigh each decision with much prayer and evaluating what the Bible has to say.

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This is part 2 in a series delving into educational thoughts from my experiences. For part 1, visit here.

Thoughts on College

I received the similar question nearing the end of my high school years: “what are you planning on doing after high school?” Often times I was humiliated and almost ashamed to say that I wanted to be a wife and mother. Is this something to be ashamed of? Indeed no! I understand more fully now that it is a high calling, and yet requires a lot of skills! I do believe it is important to have skills that could earn a living if it were necessary, but it remains the husband’s responsibility to be the provider for the family. The Proverbs 31 woman had many skills she sought to use from her home to earn income. All young ladies should be cultivating these skills (sewing, teaching, etc). The ideas are endless.

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Kathleen asked:

What was your educational path like? Did you homeschool, attend college or Bible school, do distance study programs? The reason I ask is that I am seeking God’s path for my own life. I am currently one year “out” of high school…I want to be a SAHM, and they [my family] say, “Well, what if you never get married?” (Of course, that is possible, but not God’s usual design…) There are many things to consider and pray about (like moving out, going to college/Bible college, and vocational training), so I’d love to hear how and what God led you to do and why.

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A Quest for More: Living for something bigger than you by Paul David Tripp is one book I will be referring to again and again! This book thoroughly delves into the topic of the kingdom of self vs. the kingdom of God, and searches the heart and motives that cause us to so easily lean towards the pit of the kingdom of self. How do we avoid living the day to day life in a meaningless fashion? How do we reverse this trend and evaluate all our doings by the greater eternal perspective?

Not only has it inspired me to truly evaluate what I am really living for, but it has helped inspire me to weekly begin to probe my soul with questions so I might evaluate where I am at and how I can continue to grow on a weekly basis. and journal all that the Lord is teaching me. It has been a refreshing and challenging practice!

“We have been chosen and called to be followers. That means we no longer live with a master mentality. We have been bought with a price, and our lives no longer belong to us…Do you try to squeeze the call of Christ into the contours of your self-designed master plan?…Try to save your life and you will lose it, but lose your life for Christ’s sake and you will find it.” ~Paul David Tripp

It’s all about laying our life and desires down at the Master’s feet and submitting to His plan. This book will guide you to the living for the “above and more” that we were all created for.

On a more household oriented recommendation…

Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan is a very helpful resource in learning how to mix up your own natural cleaners and solutions for maintaining your home from ingredients you have around the house. She gives good solid reasons for avoiding the toxins that are in most cleaning supplies, and provides simple solutions. I found it to be a fun read and another good resource to keep on hand!

Culture Shift: Engaging Current Issues with Timeless Truth by Albert Mohler – a thorough and clear short book on understanding the times and the culture around us, and how we as Christians can respond in a relevant and meaningful way. Mohler delves into the topics of Christianity & Politics, Public Schools, the Abortion debate, etc. As a believer, I think it is crucially important for us as Christians to be knowledgeable in issues of our day so we can stand for truth in every area.

The Green Kitchen Handbook by Annie Berthold-Bond – a simple and clear book with a wealth of information and practical advice, references, and sources for turning your kitchen into a healthful, livable space. It contains simple tips for immediate use: information on buying local produce, what to look for on food labels, and how to reduce packaging. This is a basic how-to for many aspects of the kitchen, including highlighting the varieties of wheat, sweeteners, herbs, teas, etc. Helpful in pursuing good stewardship and nutrition in your life. A good resource for the beginning cook especially!

The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn- a fun and creative book with lots of frugal tips. A large portion is out of date (as it was originally written in the early 1990′s), but still very helpful in just getting your mind ticking in being more creative in not wasting anything. I have gleaned many ideas thus far, including tips on washing ziplocs, hints on health insurance, washing and hanging laundry, etc. I am not really into the title of this book, as it implies hoarding and keeping our resources for ourselves (at least to me – I don’t want to be known as a tightwad, but rather as one pursuing purposeful frugal living), but she explains simple frugal living as a mother of 6 children, so it is definitely worth taking a look!

“No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”
–Atwood H. Townsend

“Young and old should not be without the love of reading. “The love of books is the doorway through which we enter into the purest and perfect pleasure God has prepared for us. Love of books lasts when all other pleasures pass.” If we do not treasure the privilege of reading, we should cultivate it. We ought to make it a habit. If we are persistent in applying this habit, a love for reading will blossom forth, and this love will continue to multiply and increase as the years go by. (Quoted from a persuasive speech I wrote in high school)

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Well, I was quite proud of myself…I actually finally figured out how to read while nursing and completed more than my regular amount of reading for the month! Here are a few highlights…

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