Quote from Forum Archives on January 7, 2005, 5:17 pm

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THE HOPE CHEST HOME SCHOOL NEWS

with Virginia Knowles

#8-1 on January 6, 2004

Get Yourself Together

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The Hope Chest is a free email newsletter with encouragement and practical teaching tips. The writer is Virginia Knowles, wife of Thad, mother of nine children, and author of Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade, and The Real Life Home School Mom.

 

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Hello Hope Chest friends!

 

Here is an issue for devoted to helping us make the most of our time and our homes in the New Year.  Thanks to all of the wonderful ladies who contributed to this issue!  I couldn’t have done it without you!

 

You will notice that I have started volume 8 of the Hope Chest. I’ve had many numbering systems over the years for over 100 issues!  This past year I started using volume numbers.    This March, we will start our eighth year of publication, but I decided to start volume 8 a little early – at the beginning of the calendar year.  If all this numbering stuff confuses you, just ignore it and enjoy the newsletter!

 

In this issue, you will find:

 

• Get Yourself Together –  by Virginia Knowles
• A Routine Resolution  -- by Marianne Kelso
• Organization Tips – by Angie Rangel
• Cook Your Meats Ahead of Time -- by Charlotte Grogan
• Organization Web Sites – sent by Mary Tanner
• For Such a Time as This -- by Joan LaCelle

 

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Get Yourself Together

by Virginia Knowles

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You’ve heard it from me before, and I’m sure you’ll hear it again many times.  “I’m trying to get organized...”   This just does not come naturally to me.

 

Now my husband Thad is organized.  I never ever have to pick up his dirty socks.  He keeps detailed lists that would blow my already addled brains.  He has painstakingly supervised our own Extreme Makeover Home Edition construction project – the conversion of our garage into an extra bedroom, as well as assorted repairs and upgrades throughout the rest of the house.  I wouldn’t have even known where to start, but he has drawn up the plans, gotten them permitted, ordered supplies, coordinated contractors and even done some of the physical work himself.  The concrete has been poured, and the framing and some of the drywall is up.  The electricians, AC people and window installers have also been swarming around these past two weeks.  Later this month, we’ll be able to start moving people around and ease the space crunch.    Once Ben moves in with his brothers, Thad and I will actually have a bedroom to ourselves – for six months anyway!  Yes, Thad is very organized.  He can’t walk by a sink of dirty dishes and not do something about it.  And again, I’m just not that way.  I’m working on it, though.

 

Shortly before Christmas, I ordered a little book called The Treasure of Careful Planning: Enjoy the Gift of Organization by Donna Kauffman.  Donna is a grandma and the wife of a Mennonite pastor in Ohio.  It’s a simple book that said much of what I already knew, but it was still very motivating for me.  She talks about such topics as defining your purpose, setting up a notebook, getting your household routines in place and being flexible.  (You can e-mail Donna at [email protected] or visit her web site at www.djkauffman.com)  Also, since Thad gave me a gift certificate to Family Christian Store for Christmas, I was able to buy Simplify Your Life: Get Organized and Stay That Way by Marcia Ramsland, which has provided additional motivation and practical tips.

 

As all of this organizing stuff sunk in, I came to the “divine realization” that 2005 needs to be the “Year of Simplicity” for me – first things first, back to basics, focus on the priorities, be consistent with a few things rather than sporadic with many.  Specifically, I need to be training my younger children to follow instructions better and we all need to keep the house clean and tidy.  It’s time to follow Dad’s great example.

 

So anyway, I had grand plans to whip the house back into shape between Christmas and New Year’s Day – but I got hit with a bad case of the flu on Christmas Eve and assorted other yucky viruses over the next few days.  All this in addition to morning sickness, which thankfully seems to be waning now.  I’m slowly getting back to business.  Here are a few of the areas I’ve been working on lately: 

• Chore chart – I did not make huge changes to existing assignments, but did a lot of tweaking and printed out a nice looking computer spreadsheet chart to keep everyone accountable.  Yes, my kids are responsible for washing dishes, setting and clearing the table, vacuuming or sweeping floors, cleaning bathrooms, organizing the video and linen closets, doing laundry, and more.  There is no way I could do it all, and after all, “many hands make light work!”  (There happen to be 22 hands in this house!)
• Meal plan – I wrote out four weeks worth of dinner menus, and I’ve actually stuck to it this week!  I have been notoriously bad about meal planning, so this is a definite improvement.  Each day of the week has a category and four different options depending on what week of the month it is.  This week’s menu included: topped baked potatoes, oriental chicken with stir fry vegetables, egg salad with carrot sticks, meatball stroganoff, chicken divan, fettucine alfredo and tacos & burritos.
• Bedrooms – I finally came to the realization that Thad’s standards for neatness are not too high and I need to “get with the program.” Why have I been resisting this for so long?  Orderliness is a virtue that we all need to pursue!  I haven’t quite had the guts to enforce new bedroom standards yet, but as soon as everyone moves into their permanent rooms  with proper storage (and no excuses!) – well, watch out!  I really need to reread the article, “Organized Children: A Possible Dream?” by Marilyn Rockett, which you can find at: http://homeschooltoday.com/articles/articles/organized_children.php  
• Nap times – Around 1:30 each afternoon, Naomi, Ben and I take a nap in my bedroom.   It’s good to have consistency, and I certainly need some rest every day!
•  “Just a little bit more” – This is a concept I learned from an Elizabeth George book.  It means pushing just a little harder to get more done.  For example, can I fold just one more basket of laundry while watching the evening news, or take ten minutes to tidy up the living room or put away some pots and pans before I go to bed?  Little bits add up!  They communicate extra care for my family, too.
• Planning notebook – I’ve let my “Mom’s Brain” notebook fall into disuse.  Most of the information in there is way outdated.  I really need to weed through it, put in copies of my new chore chart and meal plan, update my address lists, and start using – really using -- a weekly planning page again.  I think I may even buy a fresh new notebook to help get me motivated.
• Bible reading – Many folks in our church are planning to read the Bible all the way through this year.  I’m a little behind schedule, but I plunged into Genesis 1-10 today!   Each day, I plan to read:
• A Psalm or chapter of Proverbs -- I will cover these twice in a year. 
• Two chapters from the rest of the Old Testament – I plan to alternate between the historical books and the prophetic books.
• A chapter from the New Testament, alternating the Gospels with Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation.  If I read a chapter a day, I will finish in less than nine months and can start over again.  Or I could slow the pace and read a little less than a chapter each day.

 

Well, there’s a lot more that I could say about “getting myself together” but I’m trying to keep my writing time short so I can go DO some more of this real life practical stuff!  Hmmm, I think I’ll start with telling the kids to put away the piles of library books scattered around the house.  Oh, and we’re having chicken divan tonight, so I’d better get cooking!  My 17 year old daughter Mary just called and said she’s stopping in at the grocery store, so, bless her heart, she’s picking up some last minute stuff for me!  Aren’t teenagers wonderful?  Maybe I can do this after all!

 

~*~

 

Another amusing note: Pregnant ladies often have odd dreams.  Last night, after finishing most of this issue, I dreamed that I was cleaning out a garage full of strange junk.  I came across a bucket with some homemade modeling clay and decided to take a break and have some fun.  (You may know that I hate having play dough in this house, but hey, this was some one else’s garage!) Anyway, I had just finished sculpting the head of a rustic Russian peasant woman, when all of the sudden, my clay masterpiece sneezed and her whole face collapsed.  I thought, I’ve got to get my hands on the recipe for this stuff so I can send it to the Hope Chest ladies!  So you see, even in my weirdest dreams, I’m thinking of you all!

 

In His Sovereign Grace,

 

Virginia Knowles

www.TheHopeChest.net

 

 

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A Routine Resolution

By Marianne Kelso

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One of the joys of the holidays is getting out of our routine.  We enjoy family traditions, which include visits with relatives and friends.  The holidays are filled with sweet desserts, parties, late nights and over stimulation.  Motivating our children to study in the midst of their Christmas excitement was difficult.  Now we are faced with motivating them through the back to school blues.  The decorations are put away, the house looks neat and tidy, even bare, and there is almost a sense that something is missing.  It’s certainly not inches around my waistline.  The finances are definitely lacking, but that’s another topic altogether.  Could it be we really thrive on the hustle and bustle?  Maybe for a short time, yet what do we really long for?  Could it be routine?  Routines and schedules are the backbone of our homeschool.  Are we resolute in our homeschooling agenda? 

 

Children thrive on boundaries and routine.  They like to know what is next and they like to remind you if your day gets away from you.  If you haven’t set a schedule for the rest of the school year why not do it now?  The New Year is a good time for change.  New Year’s Resolutions are the talk of everyone this time of year.  Maybe we need to make a few adjustments to our schedule that worked well last year.  It’s a great time to review our goals.

 

  If that seems overwhelming to you or you don’t know where to begin, God is the best place to start.  He is faithful.  Even if you have a direction, it is wise to present it to God.  When we seek Him, He will give us clear direction.  “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him” (Lamentations 3: 22-25).  As we seek Him for our new year, consider involving your spouse and your children.  They may offer invaluable insight that you may overlook.  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:1-2).

 

God is a God of order.  He is faithful to help us order our lives so we may bring glory to His Name and stability to our home life.

 

[Virginia’s note:  I heard about Marianne Kelso LONG before I ever got to meet her!  Marianne is the co-author (with my friend Mary Lou Graham) of Expecting Joy: Devotions for Mothers-to-Be.  I reviewed this book, which is available from www.ChristianBook.com, in the Hope Chest a long time ago, before I even met Mary Lou.  Marianne and her family moved to Miami many years ago to help plant Palm Vista Community Church (http://www.palmvista.org/).  She wrote this article for the home school support group there.  I finally got to meet her at the regional Celebration South conference in October.  She is so delightful and sweet-spirited!]

 

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Organization Tips

Angie Rangel

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With the holidays coming up I know we're all trying to get organized!! Here are some notes from an organizational meeting my mom went to, plus some of my own notes that I try to remember.   www.Flylady.net is a great resource.  She sends out daily emails to remind you to do certain things around your house.   There are a lot of them, but the purpose is to read them and eventually you'll be doing them.  Her website is full of lots of information under the FAQ section.  

Organization:  To be truly organized, we must put God first!

It takes faith to be organized...

* Get rid of things we might "need someday"

* Jesus has very few possessions on earth

 Colossians 3:2  "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things."

Matthew 6:33  "But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:33 "God is not a God of disorder, but of peace."
 
Areas we need to organize:

 

• Our Quiet Time:  Psalm 17:22 I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.
• Our Closets, Cabinets (things that we deal with "daily"):  Luke 9:23  Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
• Our Finances:  Proverbs 11:28   Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
• Our Kids' Rooms:   Proverbs 22:6  Train a child in the way he should go,  and when he is old he will not turn from it.
• Our Cars and our Calendars:   Psalm 90:12  Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.   and Ecclesiastes 3:1  There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men...It is the Lord Christ you are serving!"  Colossians 3:23 

The purpose of organization:  To keep life on earth simple and unbinding so I can keep my eyes on Jesus!

”We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

Questions to ask:

• Does this extend my life?
• Does it make my life more meaningful?
• Does it please and glorify God?
• Can I use it to help others?

Fly Lady suggestions:  www.flylady.net

 

• Have routines - Clean up your kitchen before going to bed!! Make
  that sink shine!
• Pick up after yourself
• Everything has a place, Everything in it's place
• Out with the old, in with the new
• The "do it now" principle

Do I love it, need it, or use it?  If not, then I need to TOSS it or give it away.

 

Angie Rangel
[email protected]
 
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    ¸,.-·²°´ ¸,.-·~·~·-.,¸ `°²·-. :º°
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

 

 

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COOK YOUR MEATS AHEAD OF TIME

By Charlotte Grogan

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I usually buy meat in large bulk quantities.  This process allows me to shop less and also saves storage space for those who don't have large freezers in the garage.

 

I pre-cook and season my ground turkey.  I don't drain it though, because that makes it too dry later.  Once it is cooled, I store it in a freezer guard zip-lock bag, making sure that it is spread out to a thin layer.  I also pre-make the meatloaf and freeze it uncooked in a thin layer.  Then all you have to do is have a child go get a meatloaf out of the freezer, thaw and place into the pan.  All the messy work was done on shopping day.

 

I also cut up all my chickens, freezing all the breasts together and boiling the legs and thighs.  Once everything has cooked and cooled, I de-bone the meat and separate it into the same type zip-lock bags. If I cut up 4 chickens, I separate the meat into 4 bags.  I also store the stock in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning I spoon off and throw away the hardened layer of fat and then pour the stock into zip-lock freezer bags.

 

This makes meal preparation go much quicker in our house.  Tacos, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joes and other recipes don't take as much prep time at all.  The chicken is great for pot pies, chicken and dumplings (using the stock also), soup, chicken salad, etc.  The key is making sure you spread your meat out into a thin flat layer so the thawing time will be very minimal.  I don't plan out my meals on a weekly basis, but I know generally the type of meals my kids like.

 

 [Virginia’s note: I’ve known Charlotte for many years through our home school group and co-ops.  This dear friend has always managed to include my kids in activities with her two daughters.  Charlotte is also a neonatal nurse at Florida Hospital.]

 

 

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ORGANIZATION WEB SITES

Submitted by Mary Tanner

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Check out these web sites for household and home school organizing helps:

 

www.flylady.net

www.donnayoung.org

http://organizedhome.com/content-60.html

www.geocities.com/gpielstick/Homeschooling_Forms.html

www.homeschoolplanbook.com

 

[Virginia’s note: Mary is a valued member of the servant team which oversees Near Him Home Educators, a home school group I’ve been a member of for ten years. She has such a heart for raising her children and for helping other moms succeed at this, too.  Thanks, Mary!]

 

 

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FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

By Joan LaCelle

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[Virginia’s note: Joan’s family runs a home school curriculum business in New York.  I am always blessed by her free e-mail newsletter and asked for permission to reprint this article about Esther.  It is easy for me to be fearful, so this one was especially good for me to read!  You can contact Joan at [email protected]]

 

      . . . And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14.  Esther was just a young Jewish woman, yet her influence impacted the lives of thousands of people - to the saving of thousands of the lives of those of her own people.  I think a lot about the courage it took to do what Esther did.  I see her  fasting and praying. Deeply petitioning God to grant her the wisdom to know what to do and how to do it.  The lives of her people were at stake.  Thousands of people

would lose their lives if something wasn't done to stop the decree to kill the Jewish people in Persia. But, what could a young Jewish woman do?  Yes, she was queen.  However, her power was limited.  Or was it???

 

     The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 1:7:  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND. (emphasis mine).  It's interesting to me to read about Esther and think on the words of 1 Timothy 1:7.  God doesn't give us fear.  Yet many times we act or are driven by fear.  The spirit of fear comes from satan.  God gives us the

profound opposite of fear.  He gives us Power, Love and a Sound Mind.

 

     When Esther chose to go in to see the king, we notice that she just did wring her hands and grit her teeth and go in presumptuously before him. No, she fell on her knees with her maids and she prayed and fasted.  She knew that in of herself she wasn't up to the task.  She knew she couldn't persuade the king of anything in and of herself.  Basically she knew that

she had absolutely no ability to change the course of events.  Yet, she knew Someone who could.  She didn't resort to prayer as a last ditch effort.  Before doing anything she prayed and fasted.  That period of time that she dedicated to fasting and praying solidified in her mind and heart what God wanted her do and just exactly how to do it.

 

     As Esther went in before the king, she had the assurance of her Father in Heaven (the King of Kings) that He was giving her Power, Love and a Sound Mind to carry out His desires.  And she could do that because her personal desires had become swallowed up in the Will of God during that period of fasting and praying.  Esther didn't worry about her personal

life, instead she became one in mind with the Father in Heaven.  She realized that any thoughts of her own wouldn't be on the same level as the thoughts of God - so she subordinated her thoughts and will to the thoughts of God, whose ways are higher than our ways or thoughts.  In doing that, she became powerful to the overthrow of satan's plans against her people.

 

     You know, we aren't so much different than Esther, are we?  Oh I know, we aren't married to an earthly monarch (at least I'm not).  But satan is seeking to devour our people.  He seeking to devour us and our children and everyone that he can before they can choose God's gift of salvation.  We are like an Esther in that we are just human.  We have no magical ability

to change the course of events for our family.  In all to many cases, we mistakenly allow satan a doorway into our homes that jeopardizes the lives of those we love the most.  It's easy to wring our hands and say, I don't know what to do.  And to act on fear and make poor decisions in our homes and lives. 

 

     I share this because it's true.  Sometimes we are scared to death in the raising and training of our children and the running of our homes.  And perhaps never has there been a time when so much is at stake and never has there been a time when there is so much to think about and be responsible for.  And I wonder if there's ever been a time when there are so many

pressures as there are today.  Sometimes, because of all the pressures and worries and cares and trials and troubles we . . . fear.  Hey, I know, because I have. 

 

     Recently, I was thinking about something that really concerns me. Something I am responsible for and I felt too weak and unable to handle the situation.  And then those little fears come up.  Satan is longing to frustrate the plans of God, by keeping us wrought up and worried.  He whispers in our ears that we aren't capable. Or he reminds us of our failures (especially those failures where we haven't seen complete restoration yet).  As he sneers in our minds these thoughts, we easily become discouraged and worried and fearful.  Because the truth is that our calling and election is a high calling. God's standard is a High standard. God's ways are higher than ours.  It's all true. 

 

     But that day as I was considering these thoughts and those same fears started to parade themselves around in my mind.  I realized the truth was that I couldn't do it.  I had absolutely no way to deal with the situation in and of myself.  According to all human perspectives I had every reason to fear.  Then as I prayed God gave me a verse in the Bible. It's the one I

just quoted from 1 Timothy 1:7.  Let me quote it again because God's word is real - it's alive and He has promised us that it will not return onto Him void but will accomplish what He says. 

 

     1 Timothy 1: 7 states again:  For God has not given us a spirit of Fear; but of POWER, and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND. 

 

    Think about each one of those things as a gift from God.  His gifts include absolutely no fear.  So, we know when fearful thoughts arise that they are just the props of a defeated foe to get us off track with the God of truth and fall prey to his deceptive lies.   On the other hand God's gifts include Power.  Why does God give us power?  God graciously and

lovingly grants us His power, because, we are unable by our own strength to do it.  God's ways are high.  God set His standard so high that in our own strength we cannot do it.  Yet, when we die to self and allow Him to control our thoughts and actions and choices, His thoughts become our thoughts, His will becomes our will.  Our whole life is changed.  His Power

flows through us and enables us to do the impossible.  And His power is coupled with Love.  When we think of power, we know that humanly speaking, few people use power wisely.  It's usually used in some "selfish" way. When God lives in us, He empowers us to do the impossible and He fills our lives with His Love.  His Love makes the difference.  Power and Love are

two amazing tools that God uses in our lives.  We have these tools at our disposal to live the life that God has asked us to.  Not by gritting our teeth, but by submitting our wills to Him. It's really an amazing exchange. We give God our nothingness and will and He give us His Power, His Love and wonderful peace that He is in control and will never fail us.

 

     God also gives us a Sound Mind.  How many people to do you know or have heard in the news recently that have mental problems.  Our world is full of them.  As I just shared the pressures of this life are getting worse not better and people cannot handle it, because humanly speaking it really is impossible.  But one of God's gifts is a Sound Mind.  A mind that can go to sleep at night knowing that God is in control.  Do you have that mind?  Satan wants to keep us so knotted up that we won't experience that peace and power.  But it's extremely important that we believe this scripture so that we can do the type of work that Esther did only in our own sphere. 

 

     See, I believe that we are raising our children and homeschooling and homemaking "for such a time as this".  For such a time as the world is most at unrest and most chaotic and uncertain.  For such a time as a dying world needs to see visibly through our lives that there really is a God who changes lives and makes them powerful and loving and gives soundness of

mind.   Do not despair for one minute that you are not doing a great work for God.  If all you do is prepare healthy meals, educate by talking, sharing, reading and using a very few textbooks and also provide a loving home for your children and spouse, you are making an incredible difference in society and for eternity in the lives in your sphere.  God's ways are

practical, however, they don't usually jive with our ideas. 

 

     It's my prayer by this article that this year, this month, this week, this very day you will grasp hold of the promise that God is about dispelling fears and granting enormous power and love and tranquil minds to those who submit to Him.  When you pray, claim God's word back to Him. Beth Moore has a book entitled "Praying God's Word".  It's a wonderful book that encourages us to quote back to God His own words.  He loves that.  As we pray His word, something changes inside of us and we see God do the very things that His word says.  I don't know about you, but I want that. I need that.  I want His power "For such a time as this".

 

Dear Lord,

   I have so much to do today. It towers over me like a mountain. Help me by your grace & power to start with what's nearest and most important in the scheme of eternity. Help me not to look to the mountain of stuff to do - instead to just consistently with peace pick away little by little at what needs to be done.

 

   Thank you that as I pick up my axe and pick to start this day - that this mountain belongs to You and as I do my feeble part, you'll reward me with bits of gold and gems found along the way.  The mountain may still be there tomorrow - but that only means there's more gold and gems to uncover, too. 

 

FIND US ONLINE:   www.lacellefamily.com

 

LaCelle Family Ministries

9199 Howd Road

Camden, NY 13316

315-245-4019

www.lacellefamily.com

 

 

 

 

 

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