FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

The Homeschool Minute ~ Starting Your New Year Off Right!

/ / Advertisement, Blog, Weekly Newsletter-The Homeschool Minute

MollyGreenShops.com

                
Starting Your New Year Off Right!  
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine is YOUR trade magazine for family education. Stay subscribed to this newsletter because this is the place where we give FREE education gifts on a regular basis. Read the magazine anytime, 24/7 at www.TOSMagazine.com. It’s the Family Education Magazine!

Gena SuarezHey Mama,

 

So much to be thankful for. Look at this time last year. You have grown. There have been trials, tribulations, problems, hurtful seasons, and pain. There has also been joy, new life, friends who have stayed closer than a brother, and blessings from the Lord’s hand so direct that you know it was Him. Of course it was Him.

You have grown. Your children have grown. The tapestry … more threads every day. It will gloriously hang about your shoulders when you are old, holding you tight. You will look back and see that while things were not always perfect and even done very badly, God is the God of hope and peace, of love and second chances. The tapestry continues to weave under His watchful eye. He holds it up and continues to build up what He has purposed.

What will you be known for? Will your tapestry tell a story of perseverance, great trust in the Lord. And faithfulness to the end? That is our goal, Mama. But all of the greatest men and women of the Bible, even Abraham whom God referred to as “friend,” had rotten seasons. Really rotten. But they did not give up. They were found faithful to the end.

And we too are made righteous through Christ. He makes clean our very core. The tapestry weaves and braids, moves in and out, winding, interlinking, twisting, looping and inter-folding – and by His hands. This means His hand … as always … is on your head today.

Walk thankfully. You who are in Christ have a future that is good–very good. Leave your children squarely in His hands. Set your troubles at His feet. Cast your cares on Him, the One who cares for you. Joy comes in the morning.
 

Have a blessed new year with Him!

 

~ gena

publisher@theoldschoolhouse.com

PS. If you need some encouragement or ideas for your homeschool for this new year, read our November/December issue  (especially Deborah Wuehler’s article “I Don’t Have Time“) or any of our back issues.

Advertisement

www.nanapie.com
Develop Math Fluency! Ex=pressions™ works like a
standard card deck. Solve the expressions and continue
playing favorite card games. More fun than a workbook!

www.nanapie.com

Advertisement

IEW.com/christmas14 There is still time to receive … during IEW’s 12 Days of Christmas Giving, 12/26-1/6. Visit IEW.com/christmas14 today. Gifts include downloadable products, audio talks, and even items we will ship to you-all FREE. We hope you enjoy these wonderful gifts. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from IEW!

 

Relational Homeschooling    
Diana Waring

From the January 2, 2013 issue of THM

Dear Friends,

 

Happy New Year! May this new year be filled with ever-increasing joy for you and your family.

 

Now, unlike homeschooling moms in the southern hemisphere who are just getting ready to start school (it is mid-summer there!), you are probably facing a wall of inertia at the moment. I mean, didn’t you just give every ounce of energy into creating a fabulous Christmas experience for your family? Not only that, only a few months ago you launched a new school year for your kids! Whew!! No wonder an insurmountable wall of inertia is looming over you.

 

So, what’s a mom to do? Here are three suggestions that come from my own struggles to get through that wall, particularly when January is so grey and tedious.

 

Here’s the list:

    • Inspire
    • Analyze
    • Energize

First of all, Inspire. When facing obstacles of any sort, it has been remarkably helpful to read someone else’s story about how they overcame the odds, broke through the wall, and achieved their goals. Inspiration provides that first step of getting our hearts to believe that it is possible to keep going.  That is why we love stories of people like Joni Eareckson Tada and Corrie ten Boom, because they remind us that there is incredible blessing on the other side of our pain.

 

The second step is Analyze. Take some time–alone, with your spouse, or with an encouraging friend to ask yourself specifically what factors are weighing you down. Are you the Type-A driven homeschool mom who can never say “no,” and who thinks that if maxing out is good then adding a few more pieces would be even better? (I can speak from experience on that one: simplify, simplify, simplify!)  Do you have a child who is not thriving on that expensive curriculum, but you are determined to wring every bit of value you can out of it? (Simply put, which is more valuable, your child or the money you spent on the curriculum?) Are you suffering the exhaustion of trying to keep up with the homeschooling version of the Joneses? (Ah, dear one, no one keeps up with those guys. Did you know they don’t really exist?) Write down the specific issues and then prayerfully and carefully consider your options. What can you put out with the trash???

 

Finally, Energize. As a Homeschool Practitioner, I am going to write you a prescription for beating the winter blues. Make lots of room in your heart, your mind, and your schedule to add in great doses of humor, fun, and games! It will provide an energizing zest for both you and your children, making each day easier and more profitable for all.

 

That’s it! Happy New Year!!

 

Remember, stay relational.

 

Diana

The Familyman 

I don’t know about you, but I’m still working on the OLD year. In fact, ours ended with a fizzle. Not only did we miss all of the Thanksgiving celebration because of sickness in the house, but we also missed most of the Christmas celebration (different sickness), and as I type this our New Year’s celebration isn’t looking too promising either.

In spite of that, God has been so good to us in 2014, and if I wasn’t too depressed to start the new year with a bang, I’d start it with a bang!!

Truth is, I’m not ready to start a new year. New Year’s means beginnings, gearing up, plans, and resolutions. I think I’ll start my new year out by easing into it and enjoying the remaining days of Christmas break (Valentine’s Day is a good day to begin school). You should too … ease into it, that is.

Instead of planning for your new year, why not spend these last few days playing games with your children, straightening up your desk, working on your scrapbook, or staying up late watching your favorite family videos?

Can I encourage you to stay off the INTERNET, Facebook, Pinterest, and your smart phone? Those things are family-sucking devices and keep you distracted from what matters most.

So, use plenty of hand sanitizer and enjoy the last day of 2014 and the next few days of 2015 with your family.

Be real,
Todd

Advertisement

FREE digital issue of
Molly Green Magazine
Molly Green Magazine  

Enjoy articles, tips, help, and more for all things HOMEsteading, HOMEkeeping, HOMEschooling, and HOMEindustry.
Click here.

A division of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine 

SchoolhouseTeachers.com

Did you know? Every class is INCLUDED for members! No limits!

Let’s start the new year by taking a look back–way back–to the days of Pompeii, Athens, and the first Olympics. Join Regan Barr for Classical Archaeology as he shows us why the lessons of the past impact the future. We’re spotlighting his class with a course preview video. Take a look at what you’ll discover!

 

Classical Archaeology 

Classical Archeology
Click on image to see video

One membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com serves your entire family, regardless of how many children you are homeschooling or their ages. There are no per-child fees, and courses range from preschool to high school. If you’ve never had a membership to the site before, you can sign up for a Homeschool Welcome Basket and a free thirty-day trial. You can buy a monthly subscription or purchase an entire year  for $139 and save over 10%. Try it today.

 

Announcement

in the latest issue of
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.

 

Announcement

Now you can be a TOS affiliate and earn some extra cash!

Would you like to earn 20% commission on TOS items that family and friends purchase through an affiliate website? It’s easy, check out this page for more information. Once you are signed up, you simply share your unique affiliate link with family and friends. If anyone purchases anything from the TOS website using your affiliate link, you receive a 20% commission. There are even buttons available to help you promote your affiliate link on your website or blog.

Sign up today here.

In this week’s issue:

Like TOS on Facebook

www.lulu.com/spotlight/MommyCheetah

Find out who the
winners are for the

in the latest issue of

The Old Schoolhouse® 
  Magazine.

TOS Magazine cover

Read the magazine free at  www.TOSMagazine.com
or download the free mobile apps at

 

 

Molly Green Magazine

Schoolhouse Print Planner

Take a look at
what’s new now at

The Old Schoolhouse®
 has MORE for you!

Check out these resources:

Who We Are:

“I am amazed at the number of times I open The Homeschool Minute newsletter and have the opportunity to read EXACTLY what I need that day! Thank you so much for putting a real face on homeschooling.”

 

  –Michelle Sager

Liberty Twp, OH

“I really appreciate all the information and the many uplifting articles in your magazines. Invaluable. Thanks for all you’re doing to help us homeschoolers.

 –Kathy P.
Stanton, TX

“Only just this past week have I seriously checked into the content of the SchoolhouseTeachers.com site … May I just say wow?!”

  –Janelle Chille

Mason City, IA

“I really enjoy reading all the THM articles. I learn a lot from Todd Wilson’s column. [He’s a] funny guy who speaks the simple truth! Thank you very much!”

–Charlene

Brandon, FL

“I look forward to THM every Wednesday. I really enjoy Deborah’s articles. For some reason, it must be God, she always writes about what I am needing to hear. Her ability to put scripture and God in the middle of all her articles keeps me coming back. I recently have been enjoying the Youngs’ [articles] because I have a young man (10) in my house. The encouragement of the Youngs is fabulous. I thank God for parents like them that pave the way for parents like myself and my husband.”

–Racheal Fowler

 Glen Burnie, Maryland

“So love reading TOS on my iPad from cover to cover every month!!!”
–Leigh Anne McGrady
Dunwoody, GA

“I love the new TOS app! So convenient. So quick. All the encouragement I need at my fingertips … any place at any time.”

–SpunkyHomeschool

“I absolutely love Todd’s column. He always seems to put things in the proper perspective, and it keeps me from getting all stressed and anxious. Thanks Todd, and thanks TOS!!”

–Johnne Orelchikov

East Texas

Have you been blessed by

The Homeschool Minute™

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

 

Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6
TOP