The Homeschool Minute – February 10, 2021

Abide in Love, Mama

February 10, 2021

Hey Mama

Gena Suarez, Publisher of TOS

Be Available

Hey Mama,

It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Do you feel loved? Do you sense His love today? ALL things work together for GOOD for those who love Him. And Mama, you love Him! He has never left you, never forsaken you. It’s because He loves you, daughter of the King, so much deeper and wider than we could even love our own little ones. We are His.

He reigns. He REIGNS! And nothing can snatch us out of His hand; not even the most clever of plans could ever thwart what He has planned (since before the foundations of the earth) for those who love Him. We belong to Him; we are His!

So, what does He have next for you? How can we know? His ways are above ours, and He is working behind the scenes for our good. When you find yourself struggling, wondering what His will is for you at this time, remember this, Mama: His will is for your sanctification. It means He’s working on growing and stretching you more each day to be like Him. He gives us the mind of Christ; what a privilege to have a Father Who desires our goodness and our growth in the Lord of lords. Read His Word; do it because it is how He speaks to us.

So abide in His amazing, awesome love today, and be reminded of it from these articles in The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine.

You Are Loved! by Kendra Fletcher

Baking with Chocolate by Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Growing Grateful Hearts by Sheila Campbell

And remember, Mama. . .

Even when you ask, “What is the next step? What now?” Despite the problems, all the sordid issues, He is on the throne. Be available. I can’t say this enough because it’s true.

Know His Word, apply it rightly, and just BE available. Stand in the gap for your family. Pray for each member and make yourself accessible to each of them specifically and individually.

He will take care of the rest. He won’t let you go.

YOU are loved by your Heavenly Father, and never forget: His hand is on your head. Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ is the greatest Love there ever was. Rest in that this week, Mama.

Have a very Happy, Christ-centered Valentine’s Day!

love, gena

P.S. Watch the new THM video entry from my dear friend Deborah Wuehler. You’ll love it! Be sure to catch all of the new video entries coming every month from THM to you. A variety of authors are all bringing you their short takes on each topic. Enjoy!

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Loving Your Child

Remember when you held your first baby in the hospital? As I examined each tiny finger and toe, I fell in love, and that love ballooned as she got older. However, what does love do when a child refuses to obey for the fifth time that day? What about when your offspring breaks that precious heirloom? To answer those questions, let us discuss the meaning of love.

In John 3:16, the Bible tells us God loves us, and the Greek word used there is agape, which means an act of the will that caused Him to send His Son to die for our sins. God chose to look out for our best interests. This love contains more than squishy feelings.

For example, you might not feel loving when you insist your child retire at bedtime. He or she may protest and create enough fuss to give you a headache; however, you know that a child requires adequate sleep to maintain health. When you teach your child to be polite and respect others and their possessions, you are looking out for their future. Later in life he or she could be jailed for whacking a person they dislike. That lesson ensures they can have friends and protects them from encountering the consequences of their actions.

Of course, you still want to have those syrupy moments when you lavish affection. Plan those times. My husband and I chose birthdays. At dinner we would go around the table and share how much we loved the birthday child and special traits that we appreciated. Schedule a time when you can talk to each child alone or do an activity together. Take photos and place them around the house to remind them of those moments . . . that’s loving your child!

Cynthia L. Simmons is a mother of five, imperfect and down to earth. She uses her experience to model God’s grace and speaks from the heart of a spiritual mom. She hosts Heart of the Matter Radio—her podcast, Thinking Deeper, releases new episodes every Thursday evening. Fond of the times past, she writes both historical fiction and nonfiction, while combining history and scripture to minister to women of all ages. An award-winning author, her latest work Valuing Gold is redefining gold for many. Plus, she is a huge fan of tea, sugar, orchids, her community of friends, and weekly ballroom dancing with her husband.

https://clsimmons.com/

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Mercy Every Minute

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor

Abiding in Love

How is the world’s definition of love different from God’s definition? The world’s idea of love revolves around others loving me or making me feel loved. It is self-focused; whereas, in the Scriptures, we see that love is a laying down of self in sacrificial love for others. Deborah Wuehler shares a short video based on the theme “Abiding in Love.”

The FamilyMan

 Todd Wilson, Familyman Ministries

Staying-Married Day…It’s a Thing

I like to love and be loved. I’ve found it a whole lot easier to love WHEN I am being loved. Actually, I’m very good at responding when my wife and kids are loving to me . . . when they smile at me, use soft, gentle words, or cuddle with me. To be honest, I’m not sure that’s so much love on my behalf as it is rewarding them for being good.

It’s more like the dolphin at Sea World. He jumps and squeaks and then is rewarded with a fish. He’s only doing the behavior on the condition that he is given a fish.

I think that’s what most of us do. We reward others when they behave well. But that’s not unconditional love and certainly not how God loves us. He loves us fully, even when we are ugly and unloving; and honestly, that’s what He wants from us.

That’s why I designated Staying-Married Day as the day after Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is a feeling-day (that some don’t have) but staying married is LOVE . . . unconditional love. It is a declaration . . . a proclamation that you’re going to love no matter what. Now, maybe I need to designate a Staying-Parents Day.

Be real,

Todd

P.S. You can get a #stayingmarried t-shirt or window decal to let the world know you’re doing just that. Click here.

Trim Healthy Mama

Serene Allison & Pearl Barrett, https://trimhealthymama.com

Pillar of Knowledge: Protein, Protein

Focus for your week. . . 

Before you eat, ask yourself, “Where’s my protein?” and work on anchoring each meal with a protein source. 

Here’s a sweet poem to help you remember where you can find your protein. 

Protein, Protein
The anchor to my meals

Each time I eat, I ask myself 

Is protein here to heal?

Protein, Protein

Let me tell you all the ways 

I love to get my protein in 

Every single day.

Protein, Protein

Eggs are a wonderful source 

Scrambled, boiled, fried, or poached 

A powerful protein force! 

Protein, Protein

Chicken on my plate
I add a bunch of veggies, 

And my body feels so great.

Protein, Protein

Dairy packs a punch

Greek yogurt or even cottage cheese 

With breakfast, snack, or lunch.

Protein, Protein

Red meat on the grill

Just smell those juicy burgers 

With greens I eat my fill.

Protein, Protein

Salmon, tuna, or trout

All seasoned up to be tasty 

Fish parties in my mouth.

Protein, Protein

Keeps my blood sugar well in line 

It builds, repairs, and strengthens 

Every time I dine. 

The Trim Healthy story started when sisters Serene Allison & Pearl Barrett wrote and self-published  Trim Healthy Mama. The book’s message caught on as millions shared their health transformations, reclaiming their health and slimming down, living the family-friendly Trim Healhy Mama lifestyle. Serene and Pearl have 19 kids between them and have homeschooled all of them. Their new Trim Healthy You homeschool curriculum is now available at TrimHealthyYou.net. 

Trim Healthy Mama is produced by Trim Healthy Mama LLC. This company is not owned by The Old Schoolhouse, LLC (TOS), and TOS is not responsible for the content produced by Trim Healthy Mama. TOS may not approve of or endorse all content, resources, and other companies promoted by Trim Healthy Mama in its columns. The views and opinions expressed in this column or newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TOS on any subject matter. The nutritional, health, and exercise advice and recommendations promoted by Trim Healthy Mama are not a substitute for medical advice. You should consult qualified health professionals for health, nutritional, and exercise guidance tailored to your individual needs.

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Florida

Look What’s Happening!

Florida Parent Educators Association presents HEROIC: The 2021 FPEA Homeschool Convention on May 27-29 in Orlando. Early Bird Registration (January 2 to March 1) is $65 for FPEA Members; $105 for Non-Members.

Congratulations to Amy Caton from Ohio who won our December giveaway!

Contest Corner

for the month of February

Addition and Subtraction Workshop

Mary Jo Stewart is the author of Addition & Subtraction Workshop because of 30+ years of tutoring and homeschooling. She noted students’ frustration when it came to learning addition and subtraction facts. She tried to eliminate the frustration of students being slowed down by basic math facts with her method of learning.

All 121 basic addition and subtraction facts are laid out in nine sections in this flip-style workbook. A plastic overlay is supplied for dry erase markers to be used on each of the lesson’s pages. There are short lessons at the beginning of each section and then many varying exercises to expose the child to the math facts studied in each section. These exercises include but are not limited to fill in the blanks, matching, speed tests, and number lines. The answers to each exercise are on the rear of the page. The plastic overlay can be removed and placed on the answer side to see if the child’s lines or answers match up.

I used this book with my 6-year-old son. He knew nearly half of his math facts before starting this workbook so we used it to accompany the math curriculum he was currently using to reinforce his lessons and gain a new perspective on the same information. We drilled with this book daily for the last several weeks. I must say, I have never seen him so excited to do his math before! He wanted to do more pages and never wanted to put it away. He especially loved the timed exercises as he is competitive and thrived on trying to beat his previous score.

Go to the contest page of our site where you can ENTER TO WIN the Addition and Subtraction workbook. 

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