Art Under the Stars

Dear friends,

Yesterday, Thad and I took our six younger kids to the Matiland Rotary Art Festival, Art Under the Stars. I usually miss these art shows, but I just visited Lake Lily with the kids to feed the ducks a few days before and had seen the signs for it. Thad fixed us a quick dinner on Saturday so we could get going.

















Though I enjoyed almost all of the exhibits (and only had to steer the kids away from one or two that were less appropriate for young eyes), I think the booths that I liked best were the oil paintings.

Cheryl Mackey Smith stands near
some of her mixed media creations.

Live music floated through the air all evening. 

I think this guitarist is Tom Evan.

The Maitland Stage Band prepares to play
in the big blue inflatable band shell.

Thad bought a plate-sized funnel cake for all of us to share after we saw our friend Joy eating one. Of course, we all ended up with powdered sugar on our shirts!
















I tried getting a picture of the moon glowing over Lake Lily behind the trees.

One of my other favorite booths was Cracked Up Jewelry by Lori Rosenberger of Dunedin.
She makes jewelry and other items out of recycled broken china!
What I loved most, though, was the
chandelier made from a tea pot and tea cups!
(Look closely at this photo, where it is hanging over her head!)

Another Orlando artist, Frederick Hoffman, sculpted intricate designs in real egg shells. The big ones were made from ostrich eggs. This one is a globe.

Toward the end of our time I had to move along pretty fast since the little kids were getting tired. I sure could spend a whole lot longer than two hours looking at art!

Daddy has mercy on Melody
and carried her on his shoulders.

As we headed back toward the van, I noticed a big tree (oak?) laden with Spanish moss. Inspired by the nature photographs I had seen in many of the booths (my favorite being Lee-Margaret Borland), I decided to take a shot at it myself. Unfortunately, I didn't have more than about 30 seconds since Thad was loading our tired kids in the van, and I have a very basic digital camera, so I wasn't able to quite capture the warm colors that drew me in. Don't expect to see me exhibiting my photos at an art show anytime soon!

BUT, you CAN take a look at my daughter Joanna's beautiful photo blog, which has some pics from her recent trip to the Dominican Republic, as well as gorgeous flowers, trick photos, portraits, and more.

I hope you enjoyed this little mini-tour!

Blessings, Virginia

A Parable of Grace

A PARABLE OF GRACE
by Virginia Knowles

Once upon a time, a wise and gracious king, longing to mingle freely with the subjects in his dominion, decided to host a huge feast on the castle grounds. So he dispatched his messengers far and wide with an invitation for everyone, from nobleman to common peasant, to come and dine with him. Not wanting anyone to be left out, he made it clear that no one needed to dress up or bring any gifts or food. Everything would be provided through the generosity of the king.

His Royal Majesty was so full of anticipation for this glorious event that he commenced immediately with the preparations. He hired the best gardeners to cover the castle grounds with beds of beautiful blooms and to trim the verdant hedges into fanciful shapes. The finest tailors were called to sew exquisite party clothes for all of the guests. The most talented musicians tuned up their prized instruments to rehearse for a grand symphony concert. Jugglers and jesters, minstrels and mimes practiced their own merry entertainments. Of course, master chefs concocted the most luscious recipes, from roast herbed mutton to succulent spicy honey cakes, to nourish both the senses and the stomachs of all would come. The very air was electric with excitement.

On hearing of this magnanimous invitation, all the citizens of the kingdom set out for the castle in droves, chattering and singing along the way, eager to meet their mighty king face to face. However, as many of them approached the castle walls from the far side, circling round in search of the open gate, they were surprised to discover a tall and sprawling tent with boldly colored banners flapping in the breeze. Near this impressive structure, a short stocky man, dressed in the garments of nobility, shouted forth from his megaphone: “Hark! Tarry here to prepare for entering the feasting grounds! All citizens must pay for their tickets. Then you must either pass an inspection of your clothing or purchase new royal robes from the official feast store. You may also purchase your gifts and food contributions there. After this, you may take your test to make sure that you are talented and intelligent enough to sit at the king’s table. Lest I forget, there will be a health inspection, too. We must not allow any germs to enter the castle gates! Finally, you must present your pedigree, so we may be sure that none are descended from horse thieves.”

The startled citizens gasped in dismay. They thought they had been assured that all were welcome, that the feast was free, and that no one needed to bring anything! They had nothing to offer! What they didn’t realize was that this man, a traitor to the king, was trying to spoil the pleasure of the party for everyone. His strategy was to keep as many citizens as possible away from the feast entirely. In response to their earnest protests, he slyly promised them that they could stay at the tent and work for him until they could earn enough to pay the fees. For an extra price, he would tutor them in courtly courtesies and all manner of sophisticated conversation. Some of the peasants sighed and entered the tent, not realizing that his exorbitant demands were impossible to meet no matter how long they labored for the treacherous nobleman. Others, despairing completely ever meeting the king, trudged slowly back to their huts.

However, still others, trusting the word of the king’s own faithful messengers, continued on their way toward the open gate and the wonderful feast. Garbed in regal robes, they dined sumptuously from the banquet tables and filled their souls with all of the beauty and delights that the king had prepared for them. Best of all, each had an audience with the king himself, who delighted to speak with his subjects, young and old. Then, urged by the king, they went forth from the castle gates, around to the tent, to urge their fellow citizens to ignore the wily nobleman and come freely to the marvelous festival of the king. Then they visited each village, seeking out the hopeless ones who had turned back, bidding them to come again, full of confidence in the king’s promises. Many, still captive to trickery, refused to believe and laughed at their fellow countrymen. But the king rejoiced that myriad precious ones at last ventured forth to meet him and savor all he had prepared for their enjoyment.

This wee parable of grace is but a shadow of a larger and truer saga, one with a Great Rebellion and a Glorious Redemption, written in a Holy Book. And that timeless tale, weaving its way right up to “Once Upon a Here and Now” beckons us to freely enter in to the Throne Room of the King of Kings. Come! The gate is open! He awaits your arrival!

Fixing This and That -- Like a Pile of Books!

Dear friends,

We've always got lots to fix around our house, whether it is part of the house itself, or an appliance, or just the stuff we've got in it.

In the past few weeks, we've gotten a new dishwasher, a new toilet for the master bathroom, and a new sink in the hall bath. We don't tend to jump to buy new things "just because" -- usually we wait around a while until we really need to replace something. The old dishwasher had been broken for about a month, and the warranty wouldn't cover it because it had already been repaired too many times. We do 3 or 4 dish loads a day, so it's not surprising that it wore out. The toilet tank had been dripping into a little bucket behind it, and needed to be flushed at least twice every time, but it did the job, so that was OK for a time, too. It's just nice to have a new water-efficient model that doesn't have to be coddled.

I don't tend to worry much about these kinds of things on the "Honey Do" list getting done, because there are so many things my husband does without being asked (or without me even noticing) that the "Honey DONE" list would be a mile long. Thad is really handy around the house.



Besides that, there are so many things I can do myself. The molding on one of our bedroom doorframes came loose recently, so it wasn't too hard for me to grab a hammer and nails. Micah and Naomi saw me doing it and wanted to help, so they pounded in a few, too. On the job training! Life skills!





Our old hand mixer broke a few months ago when some dough got sucked up into it. I hadn't thrown it away yet, but when I was cleaning cupboards recently I decided to pictch it. Then I heard something rattling around in it, which I figured was the hardened dough. I took it apart to see if just removing the stuff would solve the problem. That's the pile of what came out of it! Well, the gears were stripped, so it still wouldn't work, but it was neat to be able to show the kids how a mixer works on in the inside. Not all repair attempts are successful, but it's worth a try, even if just for the education.







My big "fix it" project yesterday was repairing several dozen books (more than those pictured here). I keep a pile on one of my shelves of books that need repair, and as long as I was at it, I checked all of the bookcases around the house to find more. Why so many? First of all, we have a couple thousand books in the house, so this was only a small percentage. Of the ones that needed repair, many were family favorites (like The Phantom Tollbooth) that have been read by at least several of our children, some were bought used, we aren't the most careful about putting them away or treating them nicely so they get dinged up easily, and it had been a LONG time since I had done any repairs. Hence the piles...

I used 2" wide clear shipping tape (used more than a whole roll), regular 1/2" transparent tape, and a little glue. Many of the books only needed a little piece of tape along a small tear on the cover, but a few needed major reconstruction, including new covers. For these, I cut ivory cardstock. If the edge binding was gone, I folded over a section of the cardstock to cover that and wrote the title on it before taping it to the book. I taped all along the edge on the outside of the cover and again on the inside. In the case of the Curious George book, I found a page with a good picture, photocopied it onto the cardstock, and then attached it. I also used cardstock to fix corners of covers. The results weren't particularly pretty, but I tried to be as tidy as possible. The point is to preserve the books! Of course, then I had to reorganize a few bookcases to fit everything back where it belonged, but that desparately needed to be done, too.

What needs to be done around your house? A little here, a little there, and you can knock some items off of your list. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go iron and hang up the dining room curtains that I washed two weeks ago!

For Such a Time As This: Esther, Daniel, and Divine Appointments

Dear friends,

I love a good "coincidence"! My aunt called these, "I spy God at work" incidences. I especially like it when I find myself at just "the right place at the right time" -- often when I hadn't even intended to be in that place at that time. This has happened to me a lot lately, but I only have time to share about one small cluster of them right now.

As an English teacher in a home school co-op program, I love to integrate art, music, and history into my assignments -- just as I have done with my own kids at home for the past two decades. So when I was preparing lesson plans for literature units on the Biblical books of Esther and Daniel, I set out on a cyber treasure hunt for fine art related to these stories. I posted my collection on http://www.providencehomeeducators.blogspot.com/ so that my students could access them easily. I picked out pieces from such notable artists at Rembrandt, Marc Chagall, and Peter Paul Rubens--who painted "Daniel in the Lion's Den"--as well as some lesser known artists. (Click on the link above to see more of the pictures, as well as the literature study guides.)

A few days before I gave out the assignments, I happened to go for my annual physical. Dr. Azelvandre was running late that morning--she confessed to being a little to chatty with her earlier patients about health care reform--but I didn't mind the extra quiet moments in the waiting room. Looking for a decent magazine to read, I pawed through a bunch of power boat magazines and finally discovered the March 2009 copy of Smithsonian Magazine. The very first article that caught my eye was Bingham's List: Saving the Jews of Nazi France. I have always been fascinated by the history of the holocaust (you can read my blog post Diary of a Mom's Day in D.C.: Holocaust Museum and Asian Art). The book of Esther is about her rescue of the Jewish nation from the plots of evil Haman, too. The article told how an American diplomat named Hiram (Harry) Bingham IV issued unauthorized visas for something like 2,500 Jews to escape Nazi Europe in the early 1940's. One of these Jews was Marc Chagall, the Russian born artist, then living in France, who 20 years later painted two pieces in my Esther art collection. Chagall once wrote, "Ever since my earliest youth I have been fascinated by the Bible. I have always believed that it is the greatest source of poetry of all time...The Bible is an echo of nature, and this I have endeavoured to transmit.... In art everything is possible, so long as it is based on love." You can find two of Chagall's Esther paintings here Ahasueras Sends Vashti Away and Esther. Because Bingham defied his superiors in order to rescue these Jews, he was demoted and eventually left the foreign service to raise his 11 kids on the family farm. At the end of the article, I was delighted to see one verse from a hymn called "Once to Every Man and Nation" that the Bingham family used to sing. I sang it in English class and taught it to my own children; I hear Micah humming it sometimes. Written in 1845 by James Lowell in protest of the U.S. war with Mexico, it's sung to the same tune as the classic version of "O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus."

Once to every man and nation,
Comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood,
For the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision,
Offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever,
'Twixt that darkness and that light.



Deep in thought, I finished reading that article and turned the page. The next piece, Jan Lievens: Out of Rembrandt's Shadow, was about a contemporary of Rembrandt who, though just as talented an artist, is not nearly as famous. I was stunned to see a painting of "The Feast of Esther" splashed across the page spread. The caption noted that it had been mistaken for an early Rembrandt until the last century. Looking at the picture, I thought it was the very same one I had posted on my class blog just days earlier. Now what were the chances of picking up a magazine that was so related to two of "my" paintings? As it turned out, the Esther scene I had already picked for my blog was by Jan
Victors (another 17th century Dutchman), but looking at the two side by side, I am amazed at their similarities. Of course I added the Lievens one to my collection with instructions for my students to compare them! I was also amused, after I handed out my English class assignments, to find that in their history class my students were studying the Persian empire -- with abundant references to both Daniel and Esther. The paintings shown here are "The Feast of Esther" by Jan Lievens in 1625 and "The Banquet of Esther and Ahasueras" by Jan Victors in 1670.

On my way home from the doctor's appointment, since I was in that edge of town, I decided to stop and see my friend Danielle Trent at her Family Values consignment store. (She uses many of the proceeds to aid abandoned and abused moms and kids.) I chatted with her for a little bit, and just before I was ready to walk out the door, another mom walked in whom Danielle knew. Danielle introduced me to her, we ended up talking for quite a while, and I was able to give her some information to help her work through a troubling situation she had recently experienced. I quickly recognized this as another providential "divine appointment" -- especially since I wouldn't have met the lady if my doctor hadn't been quite so chatty that morning! What timing! The next day, when I met my friend Lisa for lunch, she shared how various articles that I wrote have encouraged her over the years, especially since she had a stroke. In gratitude for "My Glorious Dishtowel" she even crocheted me a rainbow colored dish cloth! (You can see it on her blog post Bits of Crochet.) But the encouragement was certainly not one way. She has been so faithful to lift my spirits with her kind words, right at times I have most needed them. Did either of us fully realize the influence we had on each other? My jaw drops when I think about these things.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Esther's cousin Mordecai, as he urged her to appeal to the king on behalf of the Jews, reminded her, "Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" Why was she, like Daniel hundreds of years earlier, a Jew rising to prominence in the Persian palace? Because God wanted her there to fulfill his purpose, not just for her lifetime, but for generations to come. I don't think that principle is limited to the men and women who walked and talked in the pages of Scripture. It is for us as well. Each of us is here "for such a time as this." God has a unique plan for each and every one of us. Finding two magazine articles and meeting a new friend unexpectedly might seem like tiny coincidences in my own life, but they fit into the bigger picture. I remind my students often about the ripple effect. We may not see it until eternity, but everything we do, everything we say, all has an impact. The kind word we share can encourage someone to do something noble, which will set an example for someone else, who will, in turn.... The question is, how sensitive will we be to the divine nudges to do the right thing? How well will we choose?

Let me close with a YouTube link for the song "For Such a Time as This" by Wayne Watson that I played for my class. Here are the words, too!

Now, all I have is now
To be faithful
To be holy
And to shine
Lighting up the darkness
Right now, I really have no choice
But to voice the truth to the nations
A generation looking for God

For such a time as this
I was placed upon the earth
To hear the voice of God
And do His will
Whatever it is
For such a time as this
For now and all the days He gives
I am here, I am here
And I am His
For such a time as this

You - Do you ever wonder why
Seems like the grass is always greener
Under everybody else's sky
But right here, right here for this time and place
You can live a mirror of His mercy
A forgiven image of grace

Can't change what's happened till now
But we can change what will be
By living in holiness
That the world will see Jesus

Blessings,

Virginia Knowles

On Bread, Building, and Other Eclectic Thoughts on Thrift & Creativity

Dear friends,

This morning I visited our local bakery outlet store, as I do every few weeks. I hate to buy bread anywhere else! Why? Because if I'm lucky, I can buy bread, bagels, and English muffins for a mere 50 cents a bag! Otherwise, it's still only about $1 per bag there on the clearance table. This is not junk white bread either (which I personally can't stand anyway). It's the premium Arnold's whole wheat bread, Thomas's English muffins, and Lender's bagels. For the bread pictured here, I paid a grand total of $8. The list price for these 16 bags was $46! I just can't imagine paying $4 for a bag of English muffins!

I commented to the clerk that with bread that cheap, and eggs being so economical, it's a thrifty meal to make either French toast or eggs-in-the-basket. The latter, for those who aren't yet familiar with it, is made by buttering bread, cutting a hole in it (with the rim of a plastic cup), cracking an egg into the middle, and frying it up on a griddle. Ben was supposed to make a protein meal as part of his science homework the other day, and that's what he chose. Thad had made some for dinner a few days before that.

With a family as large as ours (9 of our 10 children still at home) we have to be thrifty whenever we can. I thought you might also like to see just part of the set of wooden blocks we have accumulated over the years. When our big girls were very small (about 16 years ago) I decided to keep Christmas very simple. For one of their presents, I went to a used toy store and bought a set of wooden blocks for just a few dollars. Since then, we've added more to it, including Jenga blocks, figures from a wooden train set donated by my sister, etc. We have a huge wicker basket of them in the living room, much more than the ones pictured here on the table. The kids like to build elaborate cities while I read aloud to them. Yesterday we finished The Ocean of Truth by Joyce McPherson, a children's biography of Sir Isaac Newton, and today we resumed On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is so inspiring to see how much families of yesteryear were able to make do with what they had. "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!"

Right now, we are doing without TV broadcasting. I bought a digital converter for our TV early in the summer, but we lost the remote for it two months ago. I could easily replace it with a universal remote for $5, but I'm much happier NOT having a TV around. My own parents ditched our TV set when I was seven, and we didn't get another one until the 1976 elections six years later. We learned to read, write, garden, play music, paint, and do lots of other interesting things instead. In my own family now, we often go without TV for months at a time. I think we tend to get more done that way, even though the computer is still a distraction. We can still use the TV set for DVD's and video cassettes, although our VCR is on the fritz, too, right now.

One of the creative and educational things that some of my kids love to do on the computer is build with Sketchup. It's a 3D drawing and architectural program. You can build a house or any other kind of structure and even furnish it. There are all sorts of textures to work with, too. You can navigate around and through your building, inside and out. It's fascinating! I'm amazed at the intricate things my children make with it, and there's no mess to clean up either. Educators recommend it for kids with autism, too. Even if they can't communicate effectively with others, they can often manipulate things brilliantly on the screen. The great thing about Sketchup is that it is FREE. You can download it here: http://sketchup.google.com/

Here's a cabinet and stove that Micah drew with Sketchup. Too bad he can't use it to replace our real dishwasher, which has been broken for several days. The appliance company says it's already been repaired too many times for them to do it again. I guess that's what happens when you do at least three loads a day! With the warranty maxed out, we're just going to have to suck it up and buy one for ourselves. Meanwhile, at least my kids know how to wash dishes in the sink! We've got this little poem taped to our kitchen cupboard...

Thank God for dirty dishes
They have a story to tell
And by the stack we have
It seems we’re living very well.
While people of other countries are starving
I haven’t the heart to fuss
For by this stack of evidence
God’s awfully good to us.

And speaking of world hunger, my second cousin Ellen Morehouse linked this insightful article on her Facebook page...

World Vision's Richard Stearns sets out to put an end to global poverty
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2009650481_pacificpvision23.html

Now how is that for an eclectic blog post that rambles all over?

For thrift, creativity, a making the world a better place...

Virginia Knowles

The Secret of Replacement (How Can We REALLY Change?)

("The Secret of Replacement" is an excerpt from my book The Real Life Home School Mom, which you can download for free from the sidebar of my blog at http://www.virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/.)

The Secret of Replacement
by Virginia Knowles

Perhaps the path to your life goals is hindered by destructive personal habits. Trying to break them seems to be a lost cause. How many New Year's Resolutions are dead and gone by the end of January? Sometimes concentrating on the distressing patterns in our lives only digs them further in. This dilemma reminds me of the poor man in Luke 11:26 who had a demon leave him, only to come back with seven worse evil spirits. His heart had been swept clean, but the Holy Spirit had not been invited to fill the empty spot. True repentance and reform require that we turn away from the bad thing and toward the high ideal. The good shall prevail over the bad. This is firmly established in Scripture:

♥ “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

♥ “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me ... to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Isaiah 61:1a, 3b

♥ “... you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:9b, 10

♥ “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'” 1 Peter 1:13‑16

The obvious foundation for this is the Lordship of Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit. In addition, there are specific wise choices we can make to counteract the foolish ones. Proverbs is full of them:

♥ “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” Proverbs 14:1

♥ “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Proverbs 14:23

♥ “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

♥ “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

As Francis de Sales noted in the 17th century, “As to these smaller temptations… as it is impossible to be altogether freed from them, the best defense that we can make is not to give ourselves much trouble about them; for although they may tease us, yet they can never hurt us, so long as we continue firmly resolved to dedicate ourselves in earnest to the service of God…. Content yourself with quietly removing them, not by contending or disputing with them, but by performing some actions of a contrary nature to the temptation, especially acts of the love of God… This grand remedy is so terrible to the enemy of our souls, that as soon as he perceives that his temptation incites us to form acts of divine love he ceases to tempt us… He who would wish to contend with them in particular would give himself much trouble to little or no purpose.” (Quoted by Gary Thomas on page 76-77 of Seeking the Face of God, published by Harvest House.)

What are the life areas in which you long to improve? What are the habits you want to banish? Let's replace our hit list with our hot list!

The Hit List The Hot List

Retaliation and Alienation >> Blessing and Reconciliation

Complaints and Depression >> Gratitude and Cheerfulness
Accusation and Nagging >> Encouragement and Affirmation
Rudeness and Harshness >> Courtesy and Kindness

Gossip and Slander >> Prayer and Protection

Habitual Messiness >> Systematic Tidiness

Distraction and Slothfulness >> Daily Routine and Diligent Work

Junk Food (Body and Soul) >> Wholesome Nourishment

Ugliness >> Beauty

These are not passive changes. They require positive action. They demand that you go out of your way and take extra effort at doing good things that don't come naturally.

♥ “I won't eat that extra piece of chocolate cake. I'll have a banana and a glass of milk.”
♥ “I won't give my husband the silent treatment because he was rude to me. Instead, I will figure out why he was upset, pray for him, make a list of his good qualities, and fix his lunch for tomorrow.”

♥ “I won't watch soap operas. I will listen to worship music while I fold the laundry.”
♥ "I won't tear out my hair over teaching double digit addition. I will demonstrate with hands-on materials.”
♥ “I won't nag the children about our messy school room anymore. We are going to clean it up, get rid of the junk, buy organizing supplies, put the papers in notebooks, and schedule a tidy time every day.”

If you have tried and failed, tried and failed, this may seem like a hopeless effort. Keep your mind fixed on the fact that the changes are possible and that they are important. They will only come about if you encourage yourself to keep trying, no matter how many times you fail. And then, wonder of wonders, some day it will click! Eventually your new hard-won habits will even become natural and you will wonder what all the fuss was about. Isn't God good? To God alone be the glory, for the great things he has done!

The Real Life Home School Mom: Free in PDF Format!

Dear friends,

Announcing the free PDF version of my book The Real Life Home School Mom!

I have a trial offer of Adobe that ends in a few days, and decided to put this book in PDF format while I have the chance. I posted the link for it in the sidebar of my blog at http://www.virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/ as well as on the http://www.startwellhomeschool.blogspot.com/ and http://www.continuewellhomeschool.blogspot.com/ blogs, and several people have already downloaded it. It may not be as cozy as cuddling up on a couch with a real book (AHH, bliss!), but it's free and searchable, and it doesn't take any room on a bookshelf! Not only that, you can send the link to friends who might need the encouragement, or who are thinking of home schooling but not willing to fork over any money to order a book about it yet.

If you've ever wanted to "pick the brain" of a veteran home school mom who knows she doesn't have it all together, but is willing to put up warning signs over the pot holes and detours along the journey, this is your chance! There are chapters on choosing educational approaches, goal setting, lesson planning, home organization, spiritual life, reaching your children's hearts, keeping your sanity, striking a balance between character and acadmics, cherishing your marriage, home school support groups, how to handle your preschoolers and babies, and more.

I originally published the book way back in 2000, after nearly a decade of home schooling. Then, after raising some teenagers to adulthood and getting another several years of eye-opening "real life" experience in home schooling, I entirely revised it two years ago. I give you the "real skinny" on it, not just the trite platitudes. (Well, there may be a few trite platitudes in there.)

If you're going to read it on-line, I recommend that you choose the full screen option. The search bar is at the bottom of the screen either way. Or you can print it out, though it is 175 pages long. (If you're going to print, you might want to do only do a chapter or two at a time, and use fast draft mode to save ink.)

Please send me a note if you decide to read it on-line or download it! I'd like to keep track of who this is reaching.

Yours for the Grand Adventure,

Virginia Knowles

P.S. If you're looking for a place to upload PDF or PowerPoint or other files for others to access, check out http://www.scribd.com/. That's where the book is!

How to Feed a Brain Every Day

Dear friends,

I love the Holy Experience blog by Canadian Ann Voskamp. Today her post is full of links for web sites that offer up free daily educational goodies like spelling quizzes, geography facts, poems, writing prompts, bird pictures, classical musical, today in history, Biblical art and so much more. She notes that this is her kids' "go-to" list when she is busy with another child.

How to Feed a Brain Every Day (Daily Links for Hungry Minds)
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2009/08/how-to-feed-brain-everyday-daily-links.html

While we're at it, you may as well feast on a foundational home schooling piece she posted last year. I need to reread it myself!

Seven Daily Rungs
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2008/01/seven-daily-rungs.html

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles

P.S. I've also posted this on two of my home school blogs, www.StartWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com and www.ContinueWellHomeSchool.blogspot.com, but thought I'd include it here too, especially since this blog (www.VirginiaKnowles.blogspot.com) is the one with a subscribtion list and it feeds into my Facebook notes!

Do It Well, But Keep It Humble

"Homier than thou!" A bunch of years ago, Mike Farris of HSLDA wrote an article about being “homier than thou” (a pun on the old phrase "holier than thou") in which he cautioned home educating parents against arrogance and self-righteousness, especially when relating to other people who have chosen (or have no choice) to do things differently. I can’t remember all that he said, but the phrase stuck with me. Unfortunately, I find that it still applies. I read several blogs about Biblical womanhood, family life, and home schooling. I truly appreciate each one of them, but occasionally I stumble on a post or subsequent reader comments that make me cringe. Usually, the writer is trying to make a case for home schooling, or having a large "full quiver" family, or respecting your husband's leadership, or following the courtship model, or training daughters to be "keepers at home" or whatever the worthy issue is. That’s good, up to a point. The problem is when this turns into a diatribe and ridicule against those who either may disagree with them or who are simply asking sincere but pointed questions because they really want to understand what all the fuss is about. This grieves me. This is not Christian grace or humility. It is not "speaking the truth in love." I see it as a huge turn-off to those whom we really do want to win. As the old adage goes, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." I’ve always treasured the home schooling lifestyle for the positive benefits that it can bring, rather than as a negative reaction against public schooling. Sure, I think home schooling is better! That’s why I’m doing it, despite all of the challenges! That's why I spend so much time writing and speaking to encourage and equip other moms in this Grand Adventure. But that doesn’t mean that someone is “bad” or “brainwashed” if they don’t (or can't) home school. (Yes, I have seen those exact words used…)

Coincidentally, my friend Stephanie sent me a note the other day which confirmed my thoughts: "I cannot thank you enough for your example of not only homeschooling, but of godliness and love. You never PUSHED homeschool on me or told me how awful it is to send your kid to public school or anything like that. Your children have flourished in both the collegiate and business worlds as well as in their social endeavours. You did what you believed God would have you do and did not push those beliefs onto others. I thank you for that. My children and I have been blessed by the years I was able to teach them and have them home 100% of the time. Starting my final year of homeschooling , that is why I wanted to say thank you to you for helping me travel down this glorious road." Then my friend Michelle wrote just this morning, "You have been a wonderful inspiration, not because you are perfect , but because you are not, and you help me believe maybe I am really doing a good job."

You see, we really don't have to be obnoxious or strident to get our point across. When my younger kids bicker (as they often do) I remind them that the only thing you prove by calling someone an "IDIOT!!!!" is that you yourself are one. Of course I am preaching to myself as well! We simply cannot build ourselves up by tearing others down. We will only prove how immature we are! Maybe this little article itself will seem like a diatribe. It’s not meant to be. My aim is to bring a little necessary correction in an area where I too have been guilty. We home school moms can take a certain amount of satisfaction in how our children are turning out. I’m certainly proud of my ten terrific kids, even though I see their weaknesses and they definitely see mine! Where this parental contentment takes a turn for the worse is if we smugly give the impression that the reason why we are having so much outward success is because we are so good at what we do! Bosh! Whatever we do is sheerly by the grace of God. It is this grace that will also pick us up again after our pride leads to the inevitable downfall. If you ever get to the point where you recognize things in your own heart or your children’s lives that make you gasp in shock, then thank the Lord for his enlightening mercies! This is the opportunity to embrace the gracious gift of humility and to plead for his help. We need to be keenly aware of our continual dependence on God. Sometimes he allows these bumps -- big and little --to shake us out of deathly complacency. Brokenness brings so many blessings, not the least of which is a new and deeper compassion for hurting people. You see, no matter how good things look on the outside, folks are struggling. We may hide it well, but we all have fissures beneath the surface. Some of us have even experienced internal earthquakes. I am full of gratitude for the very painful, eye-opening seasons of my life, even the ones that continue to make me gasp. They were (and are) the mercy of God to wake me up, to spur me to pursue change, to help me to bring compassionate grace and healing to others, to make me see how his power is perfected in my weakness. In our home school, it is Mom who is really being educated!

So, dear friends, whatever you do, "Do it well, but keep it humble!"

P.S. If the topic of humility and motherhood hits a tender spot, please read my article "Be It Ever So Humbling, There's No Place Like Home". Another short article related to legalism, "Your Unique Home School Family", accompanies my poem "This is My Song and I Sing."

True Power, Love, Wisdom, Vision & Impact

"Lord, please fill me again with your Holy Spirit and empower me, not to fulfill my own agenda or bring honor to myself, but to serve people and glorify you. Help me to fully experience your lavish love in Jesus Christ and to make this Good News known so others can enjoy the abundant inner-life riches. Knit me in with people who cherish your name, so that together we can reveal the wisdom of your purposes and plans. Give me a vision for the generations to come, to impact them with a momentum that will ripple toward eternity."

~*~*

When I study a Bible passage, I often use a note page I designed to Read, Reflect & Respond. This prayer is one of my responses to Ephesians 3:14-21. You can find the PDF of the Bible note page at http://www.scribd.com/doc/17782802/Read-Reflect-and-Respond-Bible-Note-Page.

P.S. The www.Scribd.com web site I just linked allows you to make your PDF, PowerPoint and other similar files available to the public. These kinds of resources can help us mentor and equip others, make God's wisdom known in various areas of life, and ultimately make an long-term impact. That is one way for me to follow through on my own prayer.

Blessings,
Virginia Knowles

Big Brother's Birthday Brunch

Dear friends,

It's not often that I see my big brother John and his sweet wife Dana, and it's an extra special treat when I get to celebrate his birthday with him! I got lucky this year, though! This week, on their way home to New Jersey from a trip to the Bahamas, they honored us with a very nice visit. They arrived on Tuesday afternoon, bearing cheesecakes from Denny's. We enjoyed just chatting about childhood memories, eating dinner, and looking at Joanna's photos from the Dominican Republic. Later in the evening, they headed for their hotel. The next morning, they came back for a birthday brunch of bacon-and-scallion quiche, homemade turkey scrapple, fruit salad, and french toast sticks. I cooked the bacon and scrapple ahead of time so I wouldn't be so rushed in the morning, which is a good thing since I overslept and didn't even realize what time it was until 8:45!

For John's 51st birthday present, I gave him a framed photo of he and my sister Barb and I when I was about a year old. That's back when they still called me Ginny Lynn!

I admire my brother because he's so friendly, intelligent, hardworking, and capable. I wish I had asked him to play the piano for us before he left, because he's a very talented musician!

(These are a couple of pictures from what I affectionately call our "suburban hippie days" in San Francisco in the 1970's. The picture on the right was taken on a family vacation in Crater Lake, Oregon.)

Thanks for being my big brother, John!

Two Birthday Parties and Three Very Special People

Dear friends,

So far this month, I've had the privilege of participating in two birthday parties -- one for my little daughter Melody, and the other for my husband Thad and our friend George.

Melody turned four on Sunday, August 2. Days ahead of time, some of her older sisters and brothers started planning a very special birthday for her. Since she likes Winnie the Pooh, they decided to turn our dining room into the Hundred Acre Wood.

Lydia, Andrew, Micah, and Naomi lovingly crafted large cardboard figures of Pooh, Piglet, Owl, and Tigger. When she woke up in the morning, there they were! We played a tape of Pooh singing, "I'm Just a Little Black Rain Cloud" too.

Melody was so excited about her new dolly and stroller that she gave her quite a wild ride through the house!

Settle down, Melody! (It seems like I'm always saying that, birthday or not, but she was a quite a handful for her special day!

In the evening, Thad fired up the grill for a wonderful barbecue dinner of burgers and chicken.

My daughter Mary, her mother-in-law Donna, and her husband Ryan are on the couch.

Three of our guests were Julia's friends Hannah, Alex, and Sarah (all in their 20's) who always take time to talk to Melody whenever they see her. Melody loves to play with them!

Lydia made this Pooh Bear cake from scratch! What a sister!

OK, enough of the kid stuff! Now on to a grownup birthday party!

On August 3, our friend George Pyros turned 40. He suggested to Thad, who turns 50 on August 18, that they celebrate their birthdays together. That's what we did tonight, August 8. They didn't want to burden Karen and me with the details of planning and preparing it, so they pulled it off themselves! George fixed a Greek dish, pastitsio, as well as other delicious food, and Thad brought the cake. We had the party at the home of George's friend and coworker John, along with several other guests. George and Thad are standing with the O Club decoration, to commemorate their Big 4-0 and Big 5-0. Thad has so often said that even though George is 10 years younger, he has learned so much from him. They usually meet every week for encouragement, and this party was designed for the same purposes. Each guest came with something to say to encourage the birthday boys. Karen also gave us each a random question to answer, such as, "What is the one thing you want to do before you die?" and "What is a favorite memory of childhood?" A great way to get to know each other!

I first met George's wife Karen way back when in a home school support group. They started attending the same church as us about five years ago, and we were in the same Bible study group for a while. We have always appreciated how passionate they are about the Christian faith, and about raising their five children well.

Larry is the one who first introduced me to Thad (then his roommate) back in 1984, and was a groomsman in our wedding. Such a blessing to have this dear friend all these years! Actually, it was at Thad's 25th birthday party -- at Larry's house -- that Thad first noticed me!

We've also known Tim for 25 years, ever since my InterVarsity Christian Fellowship days at UCF! We often joke about the fact that on his first date with Sue about 9 years ago, he brought her to our house to meet us -- to see if we would approve! We did! Thad was a groomsman in Tim's wedding and they now have three sweet little boys themselves. Here's to more lifelong friends!

Tim and Sue had to leave a little early, but here's a snap shot of the rest of us. The other guests were Melanie and Mark, Steve and Katie (whom we also know from home schooling and church), Dodie and John.

Thanks, everyone, for a lovely evening of fellowship and celebration!

And happy birthday again, guys!