Be Encouraged A Word from Sally Clarkson

Be encouraged a note from Sally Clarkson to you


Sally shared In Support and Celebration of Motherhood! And My Dream on her blog on Wednesday and I was so deeply touched I wanted to share it with you here and hope you are as encouraged as I was.


Blessings

Educating the WholeHearted Child

I am so excited I just have to share this with you all, this book has been completely revised and updated and is now back in print. To celebrate the third edition three copies are being given away by Clay and Sally Clarkson via a draw on Sallys Blog.  Sally has said on her Facebook that international entries are accepted as long as you are willing to share in the postage costs if you win the book

It's the type of book you never get tired of. In fact mine is on loan so much I have been waiting for this edition to purchase so that I can have one for me :)

• Author: Clay Clarkson (with Sally Clarkson)
• Book: Paperback, 8.5x11, 384pp
• Publisher: Apologia/WholeHeart
• Release: June 2011 (Third Edition)
• Language: English

Chapters

PREFACE:
A WholeHearted Journey for Home
INTRODUCTION:
Christian Homeschooling — Taking a Step of Faith toward Home
SECTION 1: HOME
Chapter 1: The Christian Home — Learning to Be at Home with Christ
Chapter 2: The Christian Homeschool — Learning at Home to Be with Christ
Chapter 3: Home Nurture — Shepherding Your Child’s Spirit to Long for God
Chapter 4: Home Discipleship — Shaping Your Child’s Heart to Live for God
Chapter 5: Home Education — Strengthening Your Child’s Mind to Learn for God
SECTION 2: LEARNING
Chapter 6: The WholeHearted Learning Model — Living and Learning Together at Home
Chapter 7: The WholeHearted Learning Home — Creating a Home You Can Learn Within
Chapter 8: The WholeHearted Learning Child — Understanding Your Child
Chapter 9: The WholeHearted Learning Youth — Beyond the WholeHearted Child
SECTION 3: METHODS
Chapter 10: Discipleship Studies Methods — The Study of the Bible
Chapter 11: Disciplined Studies Methods — The Study of the Basics
Chapter 12: Discussion Studies Methods — The Study of Ideas
Chapter 13: Discovery Studies Methods — The Study of Learning
Chapter 14: Discretionary Studies Methods — The Study of Living
SECTION 4: LIVING
Chapter 15: Family — Keeping the Vision Alive
Chapter 16: Structure — Keeping the Homeschooling Together
Chapter 17: Order — Keeping the Home Together
Chapter 18: Support — Keeping the Spirit Strong
POSTSCRIPT:
The Challenge — Keeping Faith in the Family
RESOURCES
A: Books for the WholeHearted Family
B: Books for WholeHearted Learning
C: Forms for WholeHearted Learning

To enter the free giveaway you can visit Sally's Blog and enter at I Take Joy: Educating the WholeHearted Child
To purchase this book at it's original first publication price you can go to Whole Heart Ministries: Educating the WholeHearted Child
You can also view a sample chapter from this book: Educating the WholeHearted Child Chapter One

Blessings

Please note this giveaway is NOT from me.

Week 1 - Intro to The Ministry of Motherhood

I managed this week to read the introduction chapter in The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson as well as think over a scripture a day from the S.O.A.P sheet from Good Morning Girls.  I'm glad I did as it gave me something positive to sleep on and wake up and walk around with for the day. 

This caught my attention

They need the authentic strength that comes from the true foundation of a biblical world-view and a proper understanding of the real Christ who is worthy of their worship. They need an unwavering, internal moral and spiritual compass that will help them weather today's storms and tomorrow's and will guide them for the rest of their lives.
- Sally Clarkson (The Ministry of Motherhood)

Not only my children but I need this! I find that as each day passes I long to know Him more authentically. I need this true foundation how else will my children learn it ?  As Sally points out in Luke 6:40

"A pupil is not above his teacher;

but everyone, after he has been fully trained,

will be like his teacher."

That is a weight to carry! I am responsible for the position my children are in once they are fully trained.

Study & Discussion

We were encouraged to look at some verses and one of them was Psalm 127:1-3 (AMP) (I'm a wordy kinda girl and LOVE the Amplified Bible!)

Psalm 127
A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.
 1[a]EXCEPT THE Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; except the Lord keeps the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.
    2It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil--for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep.
    3Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

I enjoyed reading this but felt a little frustrated as I wanted more than the status quo.  My head thought straight away I can't do anything without the Lord but I wanted to dig deeper to know more of what the Lord means in this.

I have been blessed with a jewish friend who I emailed and asked for insight.  Chanah so blessed me, this is what she said (shared with her permission):

You need to remember that generally Jews do not take one specific verse out of scripture for insight-rather we look at the whole context of what was written, when and why.

So, the Jewish perspective on that verse is initially quite clear. If HaShem is not a part of your plans, don't bother cause it will be in vain.

The reality is that scripture is much deaper when you look at the context of 127.. David is instructing his son Solomon on the virtues of proper training for children.

An arrow shot with a strong hand bears within itself the strength of the bowman long after the arrow has left his hand and it follows unswervingly the direction given by the hand of the mighty man. So too, children raised by dedicated parents will remain unwaveringly and unhesitatingly true to the goal set for them by the guiding hands of parents, long after they have left the spehere of parental guidance.

So, if HaShem does not build a house-the hebrew word is home-and what is a home made up of??? children!!!!! So, if HaShem is not a part of building your house-home-if you are not raising your children in his ways, then more then likely you will have futility and do so in vain.

What are cities? They are heaps of homes-so if Hashem is not a part of building your city (or community) then all of the work could be being done in vain.

Bricks and morter are only the physical things used to protect the most spiritual things-children and family-there are beautiful houses and cities that are null and void as they have not been built in the ways of HaShem and there are homes of poverty-people who live in poverty but are protected by the ways of the L-rd....

Chanah gave me a fresh way of looking at the importance of what we are, and the choices we make do have an influence long after our children have left our sphere of influence.

• I loved her reminder that it's not about things it's about people. 
• She pointed me back to the eternal perspective. 
• I've always thought about the quiver part of the scripture and never given much head to the bowman. Of what use is a quiver without the bowman who carries it ? 

In verse two the word anxious jumped at me.  Anxious toil,  I was begining to feel anxious over the role I carry as mother in relation to this verse, but it is followed with,  He gives blessings. I thought about it.....  He gives blessings wow. I do not need to be greatly concerned, for He gives me blessing.

I was going to try keep up with the schedule of one section a week but didn't want to miss the depth of what I could be learning so this coming week I will be looking at some of the other scriptures Sally has on page 19 and thinking about some of the things she asks.  One of them being Proverbs 31 .......

Take courage my friends your daily walk will be echoing for eternity.  It is important

Feeling Challenged

I have a few things that I have been feeling rather challenged about lately. 

The first one being that while on camp two weeks ago we were challenged to spend daily time with our Heavenly Father for He cares for us. He is there to sustain us and has sent us a helper who can't help if we are not abiding in Him.  I find it so easy to make these mental choices, but acting upon them is not always as easy as I first think.  I have been pondering on how to make a flexible set time to spend with my Lord, Saviour and Friend. 

The more I ponder the issues surrounding quiet time with my Saviour the more I realize I need to make a commitment and stick to it.  I remember the teaching I received as a young person: your quiet time needs to be in secret. The very next memory is of another homeschool mother who shared at a meeting that her children didn't think she had personal devotions because they never saw her having personal devotions.  This has caused some conflict in me. 

The best time for me would be to rise before the family and the busyness of the day takes over but then my little rose Sir N would not see and know that this is a normal healthy and very important part of a christian's everyday walk with the Lord.

Yesterday I read two wonderful blog posts about this: the first can be found at Confessions of a Homeschooler: Not so quiet time for Mom and the second one is Granola Mom 4 God: What does your closet look like?

I came away really encouraged to set up a special place for me and my Saviour Jesus as well as to look through my wonderful bookshelf and find a bible that Mr N can look through at the same time by himself.   

I have decided I would like to work through The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

I have been having a read through the introduction, and sneaking a few peeks at some of the other chapters and already feel encouraged and challenged.  My goal is to start on Monday and let you know by Friday how it went.




I am not sure yet if I want to do the Good Morning Girls Book Club.  Part of me would really really like to but part of me wonders if it will be just another thing to add to an already full day.  I think I might try and if it becomes a burden I will drop it.


Good Morning Girls Book Club: The Ministry of Motherhood

For those of you wanting to know more about the extended bible study you can go to: www.goodmorninggirls.org. or else for those of you who prefer   Facebook

Good Morning Girls have downloadable worksheets available for each weeks study and a forum for discussions on what everyone is learning. 

GMG - 12 week Reading Plan

GMG GIFTs work page

GMG Week 1 SOAP pages

Writing this has helped me clarify a few issues about my personal Quiet Time in my heart. It has helped me realise that I can have and should have study on my own when it best suits me and the time of life I am at. Seasons come and seasons go and this is my current season.  If that means before the family rises then that is when it needs to be.  I can have a shorter time later in the day with Sir N to illustrate and lead in this area, but my spiritual walk should not revolve around him but rather the needs of my personal relationship with my Saviour.

Blessings of His peace and encouragement to you all

Are you getting filled up because you are pouring out ....

As some of you may know I have been at a ladies retreat this past weekend.  One of the questions Reba asked us was:  "Are you getting filled up because you are pouring out ?"
This question really impacted me. It was one of those Ah ha moments.
 I have been feeling very 'flat' of late and life was starting to become flatter by the day. I was generally  living in survival mode.  I should know better since I often ask my circle of homeschool mothers "What are you doing daily to recharge yourselves ?" Yet somehow in the busyness of life I had forgotten to apply to myself what I was encouraging my friends to do.  Even my precious Mother had been asking me.  "When are you going to slow down ???"

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Karen Andreola introduced me to: Mother Culture (Trade Marked and Registered to Karen Andreola) Mothers should cultivate their souls so that in turn they may cultivate the souls of their children.

In Chapter 46 Karen expounds on the how's and why's of Mother Culture. Here is a snippet to whet your appetite for this wonderful resource.

"Is it a wonder she feels overspent?  She wears herself out. In her efforts to be dietitian, laundress, nurse, hostess, teacher, taxi driver, wife, mother, and mistress, she forgets that she needs a little time for herself.  And it is then that she stops growing spiritually and mentally,  Physically she feels ragged and drags through the day until without being able to mark the hour it befan, she lives with depression. Her mind is in a drifting fog when she wants it to think clearly and efficiently. With the distractions of her multi-faceted duties she is unable to follow a train of thought. She considers herself hompelessly behind in everything.  Her feet are in the quagmire. It takes an incredible amount of effort to keep up appearances, to wear a winsome countenance.  The last straw is the guilt she feels that she is "lukewarm" in the Lord. If I hadn't experienced these symptoms myself I wouldn't be writing this chapter.  Therefore I can validate the need for Mother Culture." - Karen Andreola

This was the third homeschool book I ever invested in.  It is one of my favourite treasure troves.  I often pick this book up. Whenever I need some clarification on how something works or the practicle application of a certain aspect of homeschooling such as the how and why of Narration this is the book I turn to.  Karen has done such a wonderful job in opening her home and allowing us in to see how to do something and why she is doing it.  The book is full of beautiful line drawings from a bygone era which evokes a feeling and appreciation for the wonderful opportunity I have as a Mother who has the awesome priviledge of staying home full time and educating my children.

You can read more about Mother Culture Here or if you would like to read Karen's blog you can go to http://momentswithmotherculture.blogspot.com/

A Charlotte Mason Companion is available from www.bookdepository.co.uk, www.fishpond.com.au , and for a look inside you can go to www.amazon.com

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A few years into my homeschool journey I met Diana Waring at a homeschool conference in Christchurch, New Zealand. 

Diana has written a wonderful book titled: Beyond Survival.  As you can see from the state of the cover of my book it is a well loved book in my home. 

This book contains many wondeful chapters to equip you on your homeschool journey.  It is divided into three parts: The Preparation, The Journey and The Abundance.  Within these you will find information on learning and teaching styles, Learning together, Creating an atmosphere, The tools, The Materials, to name but a few. 

For a look at the table of Contents go Here

If you would like to read Cathy Duffy's  foreword you can go Here

This book is available from www.dianawaring.com and  www.bookdepository.co.uk .

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I have just received
The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson in the mail.  What a wonderful book.  I am really looking forward to reading this treasure.

Here is what it says on the back:  Because Motherhood Isn't Just a Job. It's a Calling. 

A mother's day is packed with a multitude of tasks that require energy and time: preparing meals, wahsing clothes, straightening and cleaning the house, and carinf for chidlren. These jobs all are necessary and crucially important. But in the dailyness of providing for a child's physical, emotional, and social needs, vital opportunities for spiritual nurturing and training can be overlooked.

Rather than letting the demands of life determine your parenting priorities, you can focus your energy on what matters most. In this encouraging and empowering book you'll learn how to .......

• make life's mundane and nitty-gritty moments work for you and not against you.
• incorporate character-building as a natual part of life
• teach your child in the same way Jesus taught the disciples
• pass on crucial fits that will serve your family for a lifetime.

This book is available from www.koorong.com.au,   www.bookdepository.co.uk,  or www.fishpond.com.au

For those of you wanting to read Sally's blog you can find her at I take Joy and on Facebook.

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Currently Good Morning Girls is using this book for their Book Club  and working their way through it week by week.  You can download a weekly S.O.A.P (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer point) page to use alongside the book from Here.  or you can join the Facebook group Here

I found a wonderful blog page at www.noordinarymomentsblog.com and for those of you who are keen to partake in a forum while reading the book you can find one at  Homeschool Creations Community

I am looking forward to 'getting filled up' over the next few weeks.   :)  Till next time my friends take care

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