HSMJ - 31 622 400 is what I have

The Home school Mother’s Journal began as a single post on a Friday morning over at The Homeschool Chick, and turned into a link-up for homeschool mothers across the blog-O-sphere to share a piece of their journey with one another each week. The link party is open from Friday to Monday so join me in The Homeschool Journal and lets encourage one another on our homeschool journey.

In my life this week…

 
In our homeschool this week…

• We have been recovering from C.H.A.O.S. and enjoying those new Christmas gifts we received.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…

• Habits are time consuming to implement but the rewards far out weigh the time it takes to train and practice a new habit. 

I am inspired by…

• .De-Cluttering your Soul - The Secret to Peace and Rest 2012 written by Sally Clarkson. Sally wrote: I am not a person gifted in handling details—too much mail, too many catalogues, too many emails, too many options, too many things. The more there is, the more I become responsible for, the more work there is to be done, and so, the more anxious I become. Same with activities. The more I commit to, the more I say yes, the more I have to drive, the more my house gets into a mess, and the more anxious I become, the more hurried we feel, and the more weary I become. When I am not at peace, nothing in our home is at peace. Definately pop on over to I Take Joy and read the whole artical you will be inspired and encouraged. I can so relate to what Sally has shared today.
• Jennifer over at Little Homeschool on the Prairie who wrote: The Gift of Homeschooling.  Jen asks: Is homeschooling a gift?   Or is it a chore...another thing to cross of the to-do list every day? She  finsihes saying: it most definitely is a gift- an expression of love for my family.
  If I see it as such, then I should look at each moment we have together at home  as precious, special, and a way for me to serve my family. I am encouraged to enjoy each day ....

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

• This week I did not have a car which turned out to be a good thing because I stayed home and rested.
• However we did have a couple of family come over and had share a cup of tea with us.

My favorite thing this week was…

• Sir N's delight at being allowed to dismantle the irreparable microwave!

What’s working/not working for us…

• The C.H.A.O.S. in my home and the clutter in my soul !!!!  Help I need to regain control of the clutter !

Questions/thoughts I have…

• Thirty One Million Six Hundred and Twenty Two Thousand Four Hundred seconds are what I have before me this new year (God willing...{James 4:13-15})   I have been thinking about that.  How and what will I spend that free gift of time on ?  I do NOT want to look back on another year and be disappointed and the only way I can accomplish that feeling of accomplishment is to plan to redeem my time.  That time is a GIFT to me.

• How do you rank your priorities and organize your day / week ?

 Things I’m working on…

• Planning on how I will redeem the time in the new year.
• Hymn Study for 2012 by Nadene over at Practical Pages.  I am inspired to add this into our school room. It is something I intended to do but never got around to with my older two students.  I am inspired by Nadene and her free down loadable to add this to our school week in the new year.
• Planning my homeschool schedule.
• Are you a Planner?  I have never heard of a Penny Walk before and will definitely be trying this one with Sir N in the new year
• Resting in His peace and handing over the clutter and worry in my soul.
• A couple of DIY for blogging posts.
• Learning to make Photo Collage's using a free program called: Photoscape. I was over at Erin's Seven Little Australians and she had a beautiful photo collage with a link.  I am so glad I took the time to take a look, the DIY step by step tutorial is excellent.

I’m reading…

• Experimenting with my Kindle.  I have downloaded a few sample books to look over: A Love that Multiplies by Bob and Michelle Duggar, Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls, Just Enough Light for the Step I'm On by Stormie Omartian, Lord I want to be Whole by Stormie Omartian,
• Planning my reading list for 52 Books in 52 weeks the challenge I am partaking in 2012.
•  Praying for your Children. I love the idea of making cards for each child and the different scriptural prayers that Courtney shares.
• De-Cluttering your Soul - The Secret to Peace and Rest 2012 written by Sally Clarkson
• Having a look at Pinterest and saw these beautiful book marks.....

Look at these beautiful bookmarks.

There are 6 different book marks available for you to download and print over at Time Warp Wife.

I’m cooking…

• Pasta Salad

I’m grateful for…

•  The gift of sight and hearing.  I love to hear the sound of worship 
• The ability to read and write.

I’m praying for…

• His guidance 
• Teens and little people
• Health and healing for my Mom who has had surgery.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…

To be in your children's memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today - Anonymous

Paul reading The Complete Adventures of Curious George to Sir N.

Blessings

48 ways to remain Unemployed

Following on from yesterdays post about Attitude I discovered this at the same friends house.  I am not sure which publication it first appeared in to give proper credit.  If you know please message me so I can update this post.

This is a list complied by the University of New York, taken from reports produced by 153 business, of reasons most frequently given by employers for turning down candidates applying for a job with their company.

1. Poor personal appearance
2. Arrogance, aggressiveness, self satisfaction, superiority complex, know-it-all attitude
3. Difficulty in expressing oneself clearly, a weak voice, poor diction and grammar.
4. Complete lack of any career plans, projects or aims.
5. Lack on interest and enthusiasm, passiveness and indifference.
6. Lack of confidence and poise, nervousness, being ill at ease.
7. No participation in activities
8. Very interested in money, and only interested in the best offer.
9. Poor or borderline academic achievements.
10. Applicant refuses to start at the bottom of the ladder or is too demanding and stubborn.
11. Applicant makes all kinds of excuses for an unfavorable report.
12. Lack of tact.
13. Lack of maturity.
14. Lack of courtesy, bad manners.
15. Applicant criticises his/her former employers.
16. Lack of social insight.
17. Dislike for study.
18. Lack of vitality.
19. Applicant does not look the interviewer straight in the eye.
20. A lifeless handshake, without warmth.
21. High degree of indecision.
22. Marital problems.
23. Inability to get along with parents.
24. Applicant neglects to answer all the questions on application form.
25. Very limited job search.
26. Looking for temporary work.
27. Little or no sense of humour.
28. Insufficient knowledge of his/her area of specialisation.
29. Lets his/her parents make the decisions.
30. No interest in the company or industry.
31. Applicant stresses the fact that he/she is well connected with someone in the company, tries to "pull strings."
32. Unwillingness to transfer to new location.
33. Too cynical
34. A poor moral attitude.
35. Candidate displays laziness.
36. An intolerant candidate.
37. Limited interests.
38. Mismanagement of personal finances.
39. No interest in company activities.
40. Inability to take criticism.
41. No consideration for the value of experience.
42. Radical ideas.
43. Late for the interview without a good reason.
44. Applicant has no knowledge of the company to which he/she is applying.
45. Failure to ask questions about the job.
46. Too aggressive and too insistent.
47. Applicant answers questions evasively.
48. Lack of personal initiative.

This list certainly makes for interesting reading and a great learning tool for anyone in the job application market. It was of interest to me having two teens in the house who have completed school and some tertiary study.

Blessings

The RIGHT Attitude

I was visiting a friend recently when I noticed this little note on the wall and wanted to share it with you.

We get so hung up on academics and teaching our children knowledge that we loose focus of some of the more important things.

This was published in the Wellington Dominion 6 October 1995

Employers Look for Right Attitude

Almost half of all unemployed people hold educational qualifications but in a recent survey employers ranked qualifications at the bottom of a list of 20 desirable attributes for selecting potential employees, the Employment Service says.

In a survey of 500 randomly selected employers, qualifications came last in traits employers considered most desirable for employees. Top of the list was:

1. Attitude followed by:
2. Honesty
3. Tidy Appearance
4. Amiability
5. Enthusiasm
6. Reliability
7. Communication Skills
8. Motivation
9. Punctuality
10. Experience
11. Flexibility
12. Fast Learning
13. Efficiency
14. Commitment
15. Knowledge
16. Education
17. Interest
18. Personality
19. Stability
20. Willingness to work
21. Skills
22. Qualifications

 This list has really encouraged me to keep working on Attitude and to remember that there is so much more to education than qualifications!

Blessings