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As the homeschooling mother of two teens higher education is something we are thinking and talking about a lot. We want our children to have access to whatever education they need to do well in the career path to which they are called. But not at the expense of their future. I was 40 when my student loans were finally paid off. The final amount was significantly more than what my poorly-educated-in-fiscal-matters self co-signed on for and it caused us a lot of stress over the years. We don’t want to tie the hands of our children in that way and have been looking at all the ways we can help them achieve their career goals without debt. That just happens to be the specialty of Shellee Howard and her company, College Ready! Whether your child need to pursue a 4-year degree followed by graduate school or wants to go the route of trade school, Shellee can help you get there without crushing debt. I hope you find our conversation helpful and hopeful! Schedule your complimentary 30-minute Are You College Ready chat here! About Shellee and College Ready Shellee Howard is the founder and CEO of College Ready, a college admissions and financial strategy consulting firm that helps families send their students to college without losing their mind or their money. After guiding her oldest son into Harvard as a Biology pre-med major and her second to graduate debt-free from the University of Alabama, she turned her hard-won experience into a proven, purpose-driven system. Over the past 18 years, College Ready students have earned more than $80 million in scholarships through personalized strategies and Passion with a Purpose community-impact projects. A two-time bestselling author, international speaker, and global education advocate, Shellee has been featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and Inside Success TV’s Next Level CEO with Daymond John. She was just named 2026 Global Educational Consultant of the year. Shellee’s book: The College Admissions PLAN Simplified: A Busy Parent’s P.L.A.N. to a Debt-Free Degree Complimentary 30 Minute Are You College Ready Consult Find College Ready online: College Ready Website College Ready Facebook Shellee Facebook Instagram TikTok: collegereadyplan X (Twitter) Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Christmas Poetry Readings This year we are sharing 3 beloved Christmas poems. We hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy being part of your homeschool journey. We look forward to another wonderful year of creating delightful homeschools together. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! PS - At the bottom of this post we've shared some of our favorite Christmas poetry books as well as a printable of these poems for your family to enjoy, so don't miss them. There's a bonus Chocolate gingerbread  recipe we hope you find as scrumptious as we do! I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Good King Wenceslas by John Mason Neale Good King Wenceslas look’d out,     On the Feast of Stephen; When the snow lay round about,     Deep, and crisp, and even: Brightly shone the moon that night,     Though the frost was cruel, When a poor man came in sight,     Gath’ring winter fuel. “Hither page and stand by me,     If thou know’st it, telling, Yonder peasant, who is he?     Where and what his dwelling?” “Sire, he lives a good league hence.     Underneath the mountain; Right against the forest fence,     By Saint Agnes’ fountain.” “Bring me flesh,and bring me wine,     Bring me pine-logs hither: Thouand I will see him dine,     When we bear them thither.” Page and monarch forth they went,     Forth they went together; Through the rudewind’s wild lament,     And the bitter weather. “Sire, the night is darker now,     And the wind blows stronger; Fails my heart, I know now how,     I can go no longer.” “Mark my footsteps, good my page;     Tread thou in them boldly; Thou shalt find the winter’s rage     Freeze thy blood less coldly.” In his master’s steps he trod,     Where the snow lay dinted; Heat was in the very sod     Which the Saint had printed. Therefore, Christian men, be sure,     Wealth or rank possessing, Ye who now will bless the poor,     Shall yourselves find blessing. Christmas Bells has an incredibly beautiful story that accompanies it and it is beautifully told in the movie I Heard the Bells. It’s one of our family’s favorite Advent movies. Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow I heard the bells on Christmas DayTheir old, familiar carols play,    And wild and sweet    The words repeat Of peace on earth, good-will to men! And thought how, as the day had come,The belfries of all Christendom    Had rolled along    The unbroken songOf peace on earth, good-will to men! Till ringing, singing on its way,The world revolved from night to day,    A voice, a chime,    A chant sublime Of peace on earth, good-will to men! Then from each black, accursed mouthThe cannon thundered in the South,    And with the sound     The carols drownedOf peace on earth, good-will to men! It was as if an earthquake rentThe hearth-stones of a continent,    And made forlorn    The households bornOf peace on earth, good-will to men! And in despair I bowed my head;"There is no peace on earth," I said;    "For hate is strong,    And mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!" Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;    The Wrong shall fail,    The Right prevail,With peace on earth, good-will to men." Christmas Eve by Christina Rosetti Christmas hath a darknessBrighter than the blazing noon,Christmas hath a chillnessWarmer than the heat of June,Christmas hath a beautyLovelier than the world can show:For Christmas bringeth Jesus,Brought for us so low. Earth, strike up your music,Birds that sing and bells that ring;Heaven hath answering musicFor all Angels soon to sing:Earth, put on your whitestBridal robe of spotless snow:For Christmas bringeth Jesus,Brought for us so low. Print your Christmas Poetry and a fun cookie recipe here! Click the image or this link to download your printable poetry and recipe. The Best Gingerbread Cookies Ever for Poetry Tea Time Christmas Poetry Resources Waiting on the Word  A Family Christmas  Helen Steiner Rice: A Collection of Christmas Poetry  A Cup of Christmas Tea  A Child's Christmas in Wales Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

We are very thankful to be able to share this conversation with Amy from Humility and Doxology with you today! Amy has been sharing about her family’s journey through pediatric cancer online for the last two years (in addition to all her wonderful homeschool content). Today she is sharing Isaac’s story and practical tips for for both the families facing medical challenges and the families who want to support them. About Amy: Amy and her husband John are 2nd-generation homeschoolers to five children from 10 to 20 years old, including two homeschool graduates! The Sloan family adventures together in NC where they pursue a restfully-classical education filled with books, conversation, and not-so-occasional nerdiness. If you hang out with her for any length of time you’ll quickly learn that she loves overflowing book stacks, giant mugs of coffee, beautiful memory work, and silly memes. Amy encourages homeschoolers through her “Homeschool Conversations with Humility and Doxology” podcast.Amy says that the best education is the one that leads to a humble view of one’s self and a glorified view of the beauty of God. She encourages homeschooling mamas that faithful consistency and wonder-filled exploration are not mutually exclusive. Her family’s homeschool prioritizes relationships over checklists, and she believes that beautiful words are more valuable to memorize than inventories of facts. Ultimately, Amy is convinced that Gospel truth alone saves us from endlessly striving and the fear, worry, and anxiety of wondering if we (and our homeschools) are enough. Find Amy online: Website: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/humilityanddoxology Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humilityanddoxology Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumilityAndDoxology/ Podcast: https://www.humilityanddoxology.com/homeschool-conversations/ Everyday Graces Homeschool is a community-supported resource and we’re delighted that you found us! To receive new posts/resources and support Lara’s work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. If you’d like to support Lara and Everyday Graces Homeschool but a monthly subscription isn’t a good fit, you can gift Lara a cup of tea here . Thanks so much! Show notes: Death Be Not Proud by John Donne Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery. Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Organizations Icing Smiles NEGU Team Impact Oliver Patch Project Book Recommendations In the Hands of a Fiercely Tender God Bedlam in the Backseat Life Among the Savages Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

We are delighted to share this workshop and printable journal with you! Everyday Graces Homeschool is a community-supported resource and we’re delighted that you found us! To receive new posts/resources and support Lara’s work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Library Building Journal Free Printable Curriculum Posts from Everyday Graces Homeschool Book List Posts from Everyday Graces Homeschool Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

My boys love all things having to do with Knights, battles, honor, and chivalry. I think all young boys are enamored with knights at some point. Have you ever wanted to use that to your advantage while working on character training? In an age when respect and honor seem like distant and antiquated relics, how can we equip boys to pursue valor and courageously put the needs of others before their own? Heather Haupt explores how knights historically lived out various aspects of the knights' Code of Chivalry and how boys can embody these same ideals now. When we issue the challenge and give boys the reasons why it is worth pursuing, we step forward on an incredible journey towards raising the kind of boys who, just like the knights of old, make an impact in their world now and for the rest of their lives. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Chivalry Inspired Parenting Before I get into what I thought of the book, I wanted to share Heather's inspiration for writing Knights in Training. Coming up with the idea for knight training was birthed out of a desire to be intentional in raising my boys. When I saw that their love for everything battle meshed well with my discover that chivalry was far more than how a man treats a woman. I knew I wanted to embark on a season of knight training and pursuing living by this code that for the knight’s of old was an entire way of living. Little did I realize that embarking on this initial season of knight training would alter the way we viewed our role as parents and forever shape the way my boys viewed these years of childhood. I wrote the book to really flesh out what it can look like to celebrate boys for who they are and cast a vision for a life of adventure embodying the spirit of a modern-day knight. Boys are getting a bad rap these days. Part of that stems from how we approach educating boys as well as a lack of understanding and appreciation for what makes them unique. Our world needs good men and my aim with this book is to strengthen the resolve and equip parents to reach their boys by appreciating who they are and how they are wired as well as inspire them to become the men they are meant to become. Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. How Utilizing Story Enables Character Development One of the reasons I love Charlotte Mason's methods of education so much is her use of story to teach. Over the years, using story to build character has become known as developing the moral imagination. Because boys especially are dawn to all things weapon/battle/knight/hero oriented, it is imperative to give a foundation of noble character to those tendencies. We cannot educate their mind and not their hearts. As C.S. Lewis says, "Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil." Heather uses 10 principles as well as physical training and character goals to help you train up your boys. The 10 principles in Knights in Training are: * Love the Lord your God with your heart, soul, mind, and strength. * Obey those in authority over you. * Stand against injustice and evil. * Defend and protect the weak. * Respect and honor women. * Refrain from wanton offense. * Speak truth at all times. * Be generous and willing to share. * Persevere and finish the task at hand. * Pursue excellence in all you do. When you look at the 10 core principles by themselves, they are an admirable list. But without the training, they just seem like rules. Heather has taken these principles and added action. Something boys just can't resist. This program put into use over just a few weeks has made a noticeable difference in my own sons. I cannot wait to see the fruit of our summer Knight School. Knight School To begin, Heather has you collect books for your schooling. Her list is extensive and beautiful. I've added a few of our favorites for you to explore below, too. Then gather your weapons, print and frame the Code of Chivalry, track progress, and celebrate their new identity as Knights. Each section of the book includes a Throwing Down the Gauntlet section. I love this, because in the middle ages that is how a challenge of honor was issued. There is a lot of great history woven into this book and here's why. Heather says, "I’m a history buff, so delving into some of the primary documents and really discovering how this idea of chivalry took shape and force during the middle ages was fascinating to me. Delving into the past also reminded me that there is nothing new under the sun. We see the same challenges with human nature, our bent to wander from the Lord, from the right path as well as the importance of inspiration and ideals in captivating our imagination and calling us back to the way we ought to go. When we step into the past, we discover that young men in the middle ages struggled with choosing the easy path, that younger sons in the nobility lost sight of their purpose and meaning and were tempted to take the easy path of living a life of listlessness and apathy and yet how deep down they all wanted to find purpose and meaning." The book finishes with many ideas for carrying on the training after your boy has been knighted. Character, after all, is a lifelong quest. Will you be joining us in knight school this summer? I'd love to see your quests with the hashtag #chivalrymovement. Have a grand adventure! Knight School Resources The Black Star of Kingston Charlies Choice Men of Iron The Three Questions Have You Filled a Bucket Today The Boy Knight Sir Malcolm and the Missing Prince Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Homeschool Music Appreciation Made Easy I'm delighted to have my friend Mary from SQUILT Music Appreciation curriculum joining us today on the podcast! She gives us 3 easy ways to incorporate music into our homes and homeschools. SQUILT is a favorite part of our music appreciation curriculum and makes a lovely addition to morning time. You can read more about morning time here. Enjoy! Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Hi, this is Mary from Homegrown Learners and SQUILT Music Appreciation. I'm so happy to be sharing with you my thoughts about music appreciation in your home school. First, just a little bit about me. I'm the home schooling mom of two children. My daughter is 16 and a junior in high school, and my son is 12 and he is in Challenge A with classical conversations. We've been home schooling for about eight years and in my previous life I was an elementary music specialist and a private piano teacher. I guess you could say that I just have a love for all things children, all things music, and all things education in general. One of my passions is to help families easily incorporate music appreciation into your days. I know it's kind of one of those things, almost as intimidating as art instruction because we think, "How can I teach my children about this when I don't know anything about it myself?" Well, the good news is is that music appreciation is a very simple and approachable topic for you to embark upon with your children. Notice how I say with your children. You don't have to impart a bunch of knowledge to them. You're simply going to discover great music with them. One of the absolute easiest ways that you can include music appreciation in your days is just to start with a simple Pandora station. You might want to set it for maybe the Mozart Pandora station or the Bach Pandora station, and just start letting beautiful music flood your home all the time. I call this strategy immersion because you're just going to be discovering and learning about great music together. Another strategy that I found always has been very effective is to coincide your music appreciation studies with your history studies. So let's say for instance that you are talking about the American Revolution. Well then start researching music that was popular during the 1700s. Well, Beethoven was composing music in the 1700s, although it was across the Atlantic Ocean but it will still something that was going on at the same time. Just do a little bit of research about Beethoven. Maybe listen to a few of his pieces. Find a good biography. Anything that can help you make a connection with music to history. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Ludwig Beethoven and the Chiming Tower Bells Another very, very simple way that we have studied music before are with some of our very favorite recordings, and these are Beethoven's Wig. We absolutely love, love, love these recording because what they do is they take a popular piece of classical music and they play it in its true form, and then they take the music and they add some silly and fun words so that your children will always remember that piece. My children, I think, have memorized almost every single volume of Beethoven's Wig, so that's another place to start. Finally, I would recommend a method that we use through my website, squiltmusic.com, and it is SQUILT which stands for Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time. Many families that I know just use this technique during their morning time and they listen to a beautiful piece of music, and there is absolutely no talking. It's exactly what it says. Super Quiet Uninterrupted Listening Time. Make sure the piece of music is short, no more than three minutes, and encourage your children to be super quiet and just listen to that piece of music. You go ahead and do it at the same time. Then play the piece of music again and this time maybe ask your children to draw a picture based on what they heard, or ask them to talk to you about the instruments that they heard or maybe what the mood was. Or was it loud? Was it soft? Was it fast? Was it slow? Anything like that that they can start picking out of the music helps build that habit of attention and that more critical listening that we are looking for. If you're interested in knowing more about that, you can check out my curriculum at squiltmusic.com and live online lessons called SQUILT Live! Just press Play which is a membership option that features live lessons from me each month along with listening calendars, discounts and a special members only volume. The one big thing that I want you to take away from all of this is that music should be enjoyable. It shouldn't be stressful and that there's no reason why you can't start today including beautiful music in your home school. It really is as easy as just listening. So I hope that this has been encouraging to you and I hope that you will be able to include beautiful music in your home school. About Mary Mary is the homeschooling mom of 2 and an avid music educator. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership & Supervision. Her greatest desire is to equip families to learn about beautiful music with their children. Visit her at Homegrown Learners and SQUILT Music Appreciation. Homegrown Learners SQUILT Music Appreciation Facebook Instagram Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Hello. This is Rachael Carman from rachaelcarman.com, and I wanted to talk to you today about that child because that child is my passion. Before I get on to that, I want to thank you, Lara, for having me on today. I'm so delighted to come and speak to the moms that listen to you so regularly, and I love the theme of your podcast, Cultivating Grace. That is exactly what we need to be about, and that is actually precisely what I am about when it comes to talking about that child. Immediately, if you have THAT child, you know the child that I'm talking about, the one that makes you want to pull out your hair and run from the building. That is the child what I'm talking about. If you have one, you know you have one. I know that's true for you; however, some of you may not know you have one yet, and some of you may not have one at all, but whether you have that child or not, I want to you to know that you are not alone as a mom in the everyday challenges and struggles that you face, in the exhaustion, in the mundane, in the rinse and repeat that just seems to go on and on and on. Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Moms are my passion, and they're actually God's passion. I believe if there is anybody on the planet that the enemy wants to discourage, it's moms because moms are doing the hard work every day to raise the next generation and to point them to God. I feel that way especially about that child. That child tends to be the kid that we want to write off, the kid that we have the bad attitude against, the kid we hope that no one else can tell that we love them because we're supposed to, but we don't like them very much. Mom, if you are one of those moms, if you're one of the moms that have THAT child, listen, you're not alone. You're not alone. There are many of us out here who every day are working our best to discipline and train and, yes, love and learn to even like and appreciate that child because that child has been sent to your home on purpose on time by God, and not as some payback, not as some punishment, not as some joke, but literally to bless you, Mom. I want you to know that that child was sent to you by God to bless you. You may be listening to this and go, "How is that even possible? How can I ever, how could I ever think of that child as a blessing?" I just want to invite you to start considering that and to go to God and say, "God I would like You to give me the eyes to see that child the way You see that child. Give me the eyes to see this child that is such a blessing, I'm trusting You, God, that this child that You've sent to me that is so challenging, I'm trusting You that he, that she is a blessing because that is what Your Word says. Would You show me who they are for Your kingdom? Would You show me who they are for Your glory? Would You give me a glimpse of the plan that You have for that child?" Mom, I promise you, that is a prayer that will not go answered. When you boldly approach the throne of grace and go to God and admit what He already knows to be true, and that is that you're struggling to like that child, that you don't get that child, that you don't understand that you're overwhelmed and you're exhausted and you're confused and you've tried everything you know to try, I'm here to tell you, Mom, that is the beginning of a glorious, glorious, glorious relationship not just with that child, but also with your God. We are part of a community over at rachaelcarman.com where we are celebrating that child, where we are seeking to love them by daring to discipline them and daring to seek God about who they are, and we are honoring God by trusting that God has a plan for their life. Mom, I'd love for you to join me over at rachaelcarman.com. I've got lots of videos on Facebook live, and I've got some posts on what it's like to be that kid's mom. I'd love to hear your story as we seek to celebrate raising that child to change the world. Thanks again, Lara, for having me on. Moms, I look forward to hearing your stories. Have a great day. Bye. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. About Rachael I had it going on—or so I thought. After surviving sixty-three months of pregnancy, countless sleepless nights, and 35,000+ diapers, this one-time control freak encountered God’s grace. And I’m here to encourage you to do the same! I love encouraging and inspiring moms to grow deeper in their walk and relationship with our Heavenly Father. In my books How Many Times Do I Have to Tell You? and How to Have a HEART for Your Kids, I challenge mothers to surrender their will and draw closer to the Lord. I invite moms to join me in loving God passionately and worshiping Him fully while sweeping up Cheerios, doing laundry, and planning dinner. You will be affirmed in your role as a mother as I speak of my own struggles with perfectionism and impatience and share my challenges, failures, and victories amid the ever-changing seasons of life. My honesty will surprise you, and my humor will put you at ease. I’ve been married to my beloved, Davis, since 1986; our life has been a roller-coaster ride, with God at the controls. We have seven kids and let me tell you our family loves to laugh! I enjoy playing in the dirt, eating dark chocolate, and walking on the beach. My husband and I own Apologia Educational Ministries, I’m an author and speaker – I am passionate about helping moms not only survive motherhood, but draw near to the Father and thrive in motherhood. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

How to Read More This Year Hey there, mamas, Jamie Erickson here. I'm the founder and lead writer of The Unlikely Homeschool. I'm a work at home homeschooling mom, and I'm currently buried somewhere under a book deadline for my first book, Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence. I have what feels like zero seconds of extra time, and yet I somehow managed to carve out enough time to read 30 books this past year, as in books just for me. That number doesn't include the dozens upon dozens upon dozens of books that I read aloud to my kids, for fun, for history, for science, and Bible, and all the rest. I'm often asked how I squeeze reading into a jam packed day. After all, busy as riding shotgun with me all day long. Perhaps you can relate. My short answer is simple. Busy is a myth. A person will always make time for the most important things. If reading is the most important thing, then reading will get done. The even shorter answer is I don't have television access, so books are my prime time, and the longer answer is a bit more complicated. Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Here are my top five tips for reading more books this year. Number one, make reading a line item. Reading is a nonnegotiable to me. It's self-care that ends up benefiting everyone in my house. When I read, I'm not only able to teach from a place of abundance, because I'm well-read on a vast number of topics, but I also stay sane. I'm fairly certain that I'd end up acting like a caged squirrel if I didn't have at least 10 minutes to read each and every day. Because reading is a must, it's a permanent line item on my schedule. Every day after our morning time together, we all grab our own just for fun book, scatter around the living room, and read silently to ourselves for at least 15 minutes. Everyone, including me. I set a timer and everything. In the same way that I make sure math, and language arts, history, and science all have a permanent place in the day, I relentlessly carve out time each morning for everyone to read because reading matters. I also try to read at least 10 minutes before going to bed at night, as a way of gently peeling off the pressures of the day. Number two, read in the fringe moments. In this screen-driven age, a reading life has to be built on purpose. Each day, no matter how busy contains fringe moments, little bits of time that leave me sitting, waiting, loitering. It's easy to squander that time, sending texts, checking Facebook, scrolling Instagram, but I don't have to be a digital prisoner. The choice for how I use my fringe moments is mine. A cell phone is an easy go-to distraction because it's handy. It's always with me. In the moments when I could reach for my phone, I reach for my book instead. That means that I always have to have a book on me. I'll admit it's not always fashion forward, but I make sure that I carry a purse large enough to fit at least one book inside of it, or maybe even three. When I'm standing in line at the DMV, or waiting in the pickup line for basketball practice, I can read a few pages. Five minutes here, five minutes there doesn't seem like a lot, but in spending even five minutes reading every single day, I claimed 30 hours each year turning pages in the fringe moments, and that's more than enough time to read a few good books. Fringe moments don't always come with a warning. They're random and unpredictable, I have to be prepared for them by always having a book at the ready. Number three, have a book in the batter's box. I never let precious book time get lost in the in between. I keep a running list of books that I'd like to read, any recommendations I get from friends, online, or trusted word nerd resources. I use Goodreads to track books I have read and books I want to read, but a list doesn't have to be so fancy. The key is to have wishful titles down in black and white somewhere, somehow, and in this way I always know where I'm going before I even get there. Then when I'm a few chapters away from completing one book, I order the next one. I buy it on my favorite used book site, put it on hold at the library or just borrow it from a friend. I do whatever it takes to get a book in my hot little hand, and set it aside until I need it. That way, not a moment of reading is ever wasted. I'm able to transition from one title to the next seamlessly. Number four, read books in tandem. I used to read one book at a time. That's all my top mom brain could muster, but over the years I've found that the one book method is really not a very efficient use of my reading time and here's why. Nonfiction books work my brain differently than fiction books do. Nonfictions with their facts and no nonsense approach are easy to pick up, and put down, and pick back up again in the fringe moments. But if we're all being honest, we'd have to admit that nonfictions are rarely page turners. They're not known for their riveting plot points are compelling dialogue. They're perfect for the five minutes here, five minutes there kind of daytime reading. Fiction books, on the other hand, keep me reading. They're the potato chips of my reading life, I can't just read one chapter. They're perfect for the just before bed reading, or those times when life grants me a longer than normal pause in the day. Now, I always have at least two books going at once. I read a nonfiction in the morning during our silent reading time and in the fringe moments. It's usually a book that always finds a spot in my purse, and then I read a fiction book just before bed at night. This can sometimes be a bit problematic, as I've been known to get swept up in the story and read well past two late o'clock. Number five, ignore the tyranny of the trendy. Call it a quiet rebellion against the trendy if you must. But when it comes to the current popularity of reading challenges, I just can't deal. I know, all the cool girls are doing them. But here's the thing. While I can give a polite golf clap to all those who read a sci-fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author, in order to check it off a pretty list they printed from the interwebs, I won't read one myself. I don't want to. I like what I like, and trying to read through the books on someone else's list, I end up slogging through. I don't enjoy it, so I read slowly and begrudgingly. I've found that the best way to challenge myself to read is to do so with my own interests in mind. I gather recommendations from other readers I know, or from trusted online sources. I read consecutive books by authors that I've grown to love. I read about topics that I'm currently interested in. The history of my library card reads much like an autobiography, showing the seasons of my life and what passions have come and gone. That's not to say that I never read out of my comfort zone. I do, but the difference between a reading challenge and being challenged by reading is that books never have to feel like a to-do on the agenda. Here's a little secret for all of those mamas out there of wee ones. Please know that I didn't always have a rich reading life. During those crowded years when it was raining babies in my house. I had to back burner my desire to read. If you are smack dab in the middle of the tornado tot season, be encouraged. Enjoy your babies while you can, knowing that books will always be there whenever you have time for them again. Reading's not your thing? No worries. These same ideas can apply to whatever your passion is. If you're going to homeschool with longevity, you have to learn that self-care is actually group care. An investment in your hobby adds to your homeschool, even if it might look like it only adds to you. I've written all about this and so much more in my new book, Homeschool Bravely, which comes out from Moody Publishers on April 2nd. Homeschool Bravely will help you to see homeschooling as a calling. It will show you how to overthrow the tyranny of impossible expectations, and it will guide you through some of the biggest homeschooling struggles, like teaching with babies and tots and tow, helping a struggling learner, or just homeschooling through a difficult season, when you don't feel equipped. Reclaim your hope, renew your purpose, and transform your homeschool. Because the truth is, God will use every part of your homeschool, even your fears, faults, and failures to weave good plans for your kids. Don't let fear have the final say in your homeschool. Jamie Erickson is the daughter of the King, wife to “Mr. Right,” and the mother to five blissfully abnormal kids. When she’s not curating memories, hoarding vintage books, or playing ringmaster to a circus of her own making, she can be found encouraging and equipping a growing tribe of mothers all across the globe on the Mom to Mom podcast, through her blog The Unlikely Homeschool, at national conferences, and in her book Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child With Confidence. In addition to writing and speaking, Jamie loves talking faith and family over a cup of Starbuck’s finest, collecting calories around a table full of friends, and taking grueling hikes with her formerly homeschooled husband, Dain (because alas, calories don’t display very nicely on a shelf like other collections). The Unlikely Homeschool Blog Homeschool Bravely TUH FacebookTUH InstagramMom to Mom Podcast Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Faith Conquers Fear This is Shawna Wingert from Not The Former Things. From the very first day I became a mom, I remember feeling terrified. It's almost like motherhood and fear went hand in hand for me. And let me explain why. I had my baby, he was probably about four or five hours old and the nurse came in, you know, to do the checkups and that kind of thing that they do. And I said, "I don't even want to put him down. I just want to hold him next to me." And she said, "You're already spoiling that child." And walked out. And I remember thinking to myself, "I have already messed up. I've already ruined him." And this sense of fear and dread flooded my having just given birth body. Six weeks later, I had a similar experience. Unfortunately, for six weeks, my little baby boy struggled with just about everything that life had to offer him. He was exceptionally overwhelmed from a sensory perspective. He did not sleep. And when I say did not sleep, I mean literally did not sleep longer than maybe a 30 to 45 stretch of time for any given length of time over the course of that entire six weeks. So I walked into the doctors office for the well baby checkup and I recognize that I was not in the best place. In fact, I would be really, really surprised if I had even washed my hair or gotten ready that morning. It literally felt like survival mode. Today's episode of Cultivating Grace is sponsored by: And so, you know, he did the well baby check up and then he asked, "Is there anything else that you have any questions about." And I started to cry. And what I wanted to get out, the words that I were trying to say is, "I think there's something wrong with my baby. I'm afraid that there might be something wrong with him." And as I tried to choke those words out, I saw the doctor write on my son's case record, hysterical first time mom. And again, that same sense of fear and dread flooded my body. It confirmed to me what I was already most afraid of, that I wasn't equipped to do this. That I wasn't going to be able to pull off this motherhood thing and that I was probably ruining my child before he was even at the age where he could speak. Unfortunately, that doctor was wrong in writing that. And was wrong in not listening to the intuition that my mother's heart was beating and speaking at that time. Many years later we found out that my son was not only on the autism spectrum, but also suffered from a significant autoimmune illness. It makes sense now, looking back, and realizing how difficult and how much of a struggle every day life was for him. Especially in those first few years. And I look back, now that he's 16, and I think about myself as a first time mom. And one of the most overwhelming emotions that I remember from that entire time unfortunately, is fear. If you're a mom of a child with differences, I know you can identify with this. It seems like we go through an awful lot of our life with other people speaking into the decisions and the choices that we're having to make. And depending on where your child's at, if there's a diagnosis in play and the degree of differences that you're dealing with, sometimes those choices, they seem like we're making a decision between the least wrong thing versus what's the best thing, right? And because of that, it can often put us into a place, at least it did for me for a very long time, where I felt like I was constantly having to not only defend the choices that I was making but also, sort of scurry to cover myself. Because I was so afraid. Fear, I think has shaped far too much of my motherhood. It grieves me to say that. And so today, what I want you to know is that living fearfully is not only exhausting, it's debilitating. It robs us of the life that we have right in front of us. The one that God has given us. A life that no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the diagnosis, no matter what the day to day reality, it's a life that's begging us to dig in. And to be present. And to live out all the moments that we have before us. I've spent a lot of time lately praying about and trying to think about how to try to combat this fear that still creeps in all the time. Despite the fact that we've moved past so many of those things that were a struggle in our early years. The first thing I know to do is to call it what it is. It is fear. It is not truth. And often times, fear is born from a place of outright lies. Willing myself to pray to push past it, to force it back and to cling to the good that has been given to me instead of being stifled by all the bad that fear brings, is what is required of me. Not only in this walk of life but in every walk of life. The truth is, the only antidote that I have found to fear is faith. Fear tells me I have to do it all. I have to fix it all for my children. Faith tells me that it's okay. I never could anyway. Fear tells me that the worst can and will happen. And faith? Faith tells me that no matter what happens, I am loved and seen and my children are loved and seen. Fear tells me that my future is only as good as the decisions that I make today. But faith? Faith tells me that hope can be found in every single circumstance no matter what the future may hold. Fear wastes my time. I lose moments, days, weeks, months and years. I have lost those and I want more. I want to grasp the days, weeks, months and years that are before me that I have left with my sons. Faith shows me the here and now. The joy, the grace, the beauty, the mercy that exists in my family's circumstances. No matter what they may look like today, right here in front of me. Faith in motherhood calms the fear. And most importantly, it speaks the truth. That truth is that I am not alone in this. My children are not alone in this. And you sweet mom, you are not alone in this. He sees me, He sees my kids, He sees you. He loves us all. And there is nothing to fear. About Shawna Shawna Wingert is a special education teacher turned business consultant, and mom of two brilliant boys with differences and special needs. Shawna has written three books for parents of special needs – Everyday Autism, Special Education at Home and Parenting Chaos. She blogs at Different by Design Learning. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Join us today as Amy encourages us with ways to get the sparkle back into our homeschool. Hello, Homeschool Momma. My name is Amy Milcic and I am a homeschool soccer mom to five boys. Yes, you heard that right. Five boys, ages two, five, eight, 11, and 14. Toddler to teen. I blog over at Rock Your Homeschool, a site dedicated to helping families add sparkle to learning fun. I am passionate about sharing homeschool encouragement, tips, and resources. I know what it's like to be in the homeschool trenches, and how a positive and creative approach can make a world of difference. One of my favorite ways to connect with other homeschoolers is via Facebook Live. Getting pumped up for your homeschool day can seem daunting. I like to help you jazz it up and get excited for learning at home with my weekday morning homeschool pep talk, around 9 a.m. Eastern. In five- to ten-minute chats, I share homeschool encouragement, tips, resources, and humor. Plus, I hope you connect with other homeschool moms and bloggers, sharing their nuggets of knowledge. I would love to have you join my live or tune in any time of day that you need a homeschool pep talk. I'm so excited to be chatting with you here today. One of the things I find myself frequently repeating is that homeschool is a blessing but can be so tough. Community and support from other homeschoolers can lift you up and help you navigate the bumpy path of homeschooling. I'm so grateful for podcasts like this one that bring us together and get these morsels of delight to keep us going. Are you still stuck on the fact that I'm a homeschool mom to five boys? Yeah, I get that a lot. Wonder how I make our homeschool magic happen? Well I'm not going to sugarcoat it and say every day is easy. I'm very blessed with two older boys, who are independent enough to do a majority of their work on their own and help me with their younger brothers. But even that scenario doesn't always play itself out nicely. BB—before boys—I worked as a mental health therapist doing individual, group, and family therapy. I swore that I would work hard to help my future family, God willing, have a strong foundation, a faith, and positive relationships. One of the ways I strive to achieve balance, and make sure we at least complete some work each day, is our morning gathering, otherwise known as morning basket, morning time, whatchamacallits. This special time of prayer, readalouds, and group work help set the stage for better homeschool interactions throughout our day. The most looked-forward-to and unifying experience of our homeschool week is our poetry tea time. Yep, you heard that right. We have a weekly poetry tea time with five boys. Through poetry tea time, my boys and I have been introduced to a whole new world of thinking and imagination. We have learned and practiced proper etiquette and even how to set a proper tea table. Most importantly, my boys and I have a positive practice to look forward to, plan for, and think about each week. How does one have a successful poetry tea time with boys? Well, for our family, flexibility is key. Although we strive for proper manners at the table, it is not uncommon for one of my boys to be upside-down on their chair, looking at the world from a new angle, or hopping on one foot as they work out the patterns in a poem. We often start off well enough, but erupt into observations, comments, performances, maybe all at the same time. If you have boys and want to do a poetry tea time, give it a go, and don't limit yourself to just poems filled with adventure of boyish humor. Branch out. Try a poem about nature—or even romance!—and you just never know what will touch their hearts and stick with them forever. As much as I sometimes dream of a quiet poetry tea time with dainty delights, I wouldn't have it any other way. My boys have learned to appreciate poetry and actually get excited about it, an activity that I never dreamed possible with having all boys. I am now able to find and share delight, albeit in a more masculine way. Thank you so much for sharing a part of your day with me. If you have more questions about homeschooling boys or poetry tea time with different ages, I would love to chat with you at Rock Your Homeschool. Thank you so much for having me here today, and rock your homeschool! Find Amy online: Rock Your Homeschool Facebook Pinterest Instagram Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Four Main Truths that Need to be Fastened like Nails in Every Child's Heart This is Dr. Mark Hamby here at Lamplighter Ministries. Got some exciting things to share today. God's word is very profitable to us. It goads us, it guides us and it guards us. We want our children and ourselves to not only have the word of God, words of delight, words of truth and words of the wise - not only goad us and guide us and guard us but we want those truths to become fastened like nails. That's when they become our world view. That's when they become, no matter what happens in life, no matter how hard we get kicked, we're going to respond in a certain way because the truths of God's word are firmly planted in our lives. Firmly planted in our mind and in our heart. They're fastened like nails. This is key. This is key in all literature by the way. This is how you evaluate literature. This is how you evaluate what books you want your children to be reading. Here's what we're looking at. We want our children to develop a world view. First the word of God guides, goads and guards them. Then the word of God, God's thoughts and God's ways, Isaiah 55. Just read Isaiah 55 and look how God's thoughts and God's ways surround our thoughts and our ways. Choosing the literature and ideas we expose our children to is a task we cannot take lightly. Everything that goes into their mind will shape their worldview. Once this happens in children, in young adults, they become skillful. In Second Peter chapter 1 it says that we're to gain a full intimate knowledge of Him whose called us to His own glory and excellence. That's where we need to be. Today children that we're spending time with, the video games and so much on their texting and social media and Facebook likes and Instagram and all the stuff that's going on today, it's dumbing them down so much that they can no longer think. That's why Neil Postman wrote the book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. The word amuse means not to think. Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Children that have been just sucked into this entertainment phase of life, they really have stopped imagining. They no longer have their own imagination. They've taken on the imagination of Hollywood and the producers and authors of these gaming devices. That's why when we get back to Ecclesiastes and we look at the challenge and the warning of Solomon. "My son, beware of anything beyond these words of delight, words of truth and words of the wise. They're to be like goads, fastened like nails," here's the key, "given by one shepherd." The one shepherd Jesus in John 14, He claims Himself to be, the one shepherd. This is why this is so important. Here are the four main truths. Number one, God is good. If you have something to write with, you want to write these down. These are important. Four main truths that need to be fastened like nails in every child's heart. The first one, that God is good. Why is that so important? That was the very first temptation, the very first enticement that came upon mankind. The serpent says to Eve, "Did God really say this?" And then he gets her to a place, "You will not really die. In fact if you eat this, you will become like God." In other words, the enticement was, God's keeping something from you. That is the lie that continues to this very day that's enticing our children. The pleasures that this world has to offer. God's keeping something from you. You can do this. You don't have to be so isolated. You don't have to be so rigid. You don't have to be so legalistic. Come on, enjoy. Drink a little. Watch a little. This is not going to hurt. This movie's not going to hurt you even though there's a little pornography, a little sex, little drugs and drinking, a little violence, a little promiscuity. It's not going to hurt you. That's been the lie from the very beginning. That's why God has requirements and boundaries that we're to live within. Those boundaries are for our health and safety. Those boundaries are for our good. The very first fasten like nails truth that our children must embrace - they must be fully convinced that God's ways and God's words are good. They're good for us. When children embrace them, they're willing to say, "You know what? I don't really think I want to follow this group. I don't really want to give into their enticements and even though all my friends are doing it, I'm choosing not to." It reminds me of what goes on in the Book of Proverbs that there are three main temptations, Folly flatters with her words. She beguiles with her beauty and she entices with her touch. Our children need to know that God is good and He's placed boundaries for a reason. The second truth is that God keeps His promises. That's something our children can hold onto. There are over 6,000, between 6,000 and 8,000 promises in the Bible and most Christians know very few. We need to hold onto the promises of God. His divine power has given us everything we need for life in Godliness. According a full intimate knowledge of Him who's called us to His own glory and excellence. By which He's also granted unto us, here it is, great and magnificent promises. Not just promises, but great and magnificent promises. We need to embrace them. Our kids need to know them. Not only will He never leave us or forsake us, He's a sun and a shield. He gives grace and glory and no good thing will He withhold from them who'll walk uprightly. I've known Jesus for 42 years and I can tell everybody this, He's never let me down. He has blessed me more than I can possibly imagine. He is true to His word. He will always be there to help us. Now He might not do it just when we want Him to do it but He always does it. God is good, God keeps His promises. Third, all things work together for good. God makes all things work together for good to those who love Him. To those who are called according to His purpose. Our kids need to know that there is a calling, there is a purpose that God has designed for their lives and within that calling, within that purpose, God makes all things work together for good. No matter what takes place. Mom and Dad get a divorce. Someone loses their job. Someone has a health problem. Someone's falsely accused. Someone's getting picked on. No matter what it is, kids that grow up with these truths fastened like nails, they know that God is good, that God keeps His promises, that God makes all things work together for good. That leads us to the fourth promise. Here it is. That God allows suffering. Why? Because suffering produces endurance and endurance encourages character growth. Character growth strengthens hope and hope opens the door for us to experience God's love. It says here in the Greek text in Hebrews chapter 5, verses 3 through 5. It says that, "His love will be poured out." No, that's not what it really says. In the Greek is says, "His love will be gushed out upon us through the Holy Spirit, given to us." That's what God's done for us. Those are the truths that need to become fastened like nails in our lives and when they are, you'll see young children turn into young adults that will serve the Lord, that will be used greatly of God and they will be able to experience God pouring out His promise and experience that Ephesians 3:20, "He will do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think." Why? Because we have the one Shepherd on our side who's going to use His word as goads to guide us, to guard us, and then to open up doors that we cannot imagine that we can be used greatly of God to bring change in this world. Change that brings redemptive truth to a lost people back to a loving God. Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Find Dr. Hamby and Lamplighter Ministries online: Lamplighter The Best of Collections by Age Lamplighter The Lamplighter Guild Facebook About Dr. Hamby Mark Hamby (MS, MDiv, ThM, DMin) is founder and president of Lamplighter Ministries International, a ministry comprised of Lamplighter Publishing , Lamplighter Theatre , Lamplighter Guild , Lamplighter Life-Transforming Seminars, Lamplighter Moments Daily Radio Broadcast, and Fastened Like Nails weekly podcast . Mark and his wife Debbie have devoted themselves to making ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17). If you have ever heard Mark speak, you know that he loves to tell stories that make the truths of the Word of God come alive! Now more than ever, he is ready to tell the unforgettable story of Wisdom and Folly and the epic battle for our children’s souls. Through the Art of Storytelling , Mark explains how to Develop Discernment in an Age of Distraction by closely examining and dramatically communicating the twelve lessons of Wisdom from the book of Proverbs. He reveals Folly’s false promises of peer-pressured prosperity, promotion, protection, power, and pleasure and Wisdom’s eternal promises of freedom, joy, and entrepreneurial success. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

How to Implement Brain Training at Home Hey there, friends. This is Cindy West of OurJourneyWestward.com. I am here to talk to you just a little bit about brain training and why we have made it such an integral part of our day for many years now in our homeschool. Brain training is part of our morning time almost every single morning of every single homeschool day. What we do is start our day off with these game-like activities that help wake our minds up and work on executive functioning skills like attention and memory and processing speeds, comprehension and even logical understanding. What we do is each morning we have a game or two that we play. They're very fun, so nobody is too frustrated that we are doing them. That's the way we start our day. We are starting our day off on a really good fun foot and building connections between right and left sides of brains that help all of our kids to grow in those executive functioning skills. It doesn't really matter whether you have a child with ADHD, autism, giftedness. Really any person, even if they're kind of what you would consider a typical child, any person can really benefit from practicing executive functioning skills. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Resources for Brain Training in Your Homeschool Spot It! Story Cubes Rush Hour Jr. Simon Blink Tetris Wooden Puzzle Scrabble Slam Gravity Maze Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization For instance, when you think about attention, you think about I need to be able to look at something or I need to be able to hear something, and I need to comprehend it, and I need to remember what I've seen. I need to process what I've seen or heard. I need to be able to do all of that while sometimes things might be going on around me that could be distracting. That's what we're talking about when we say executive functioning skills. These games do that for us. Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. I will just give you a couple of examples of what we do on a daily basis. Then if you are interested in learning more, diving a little bit deeper into this idea, learning some more of the games that we play, even where I got my training and how to do this in my homeschool, you are welcome to visit my blog, OurJourneyWestward.com/brain-training. You will find everything you need. Okay, so a typical game that we might play that I bet you know about is called Spot It! Have you seen the little Spot It! game? It's circular. It's got all these little pictures on it. Each card will have one picture that matches a picture on another card. All of the players are racing to see who can identify the picture on the card in the middle that matches the card they currently have in their hand. You are training their visual attention. You are training their working memory. Working memory means they're having to remember things while they're also thinking about other things. You are training their processing speed to be faster, especially their visual processing speed, and you are training them to logically think about, "How will I be the first to identify my picture?" That simple little game is a powerhouse in training executive functioning skills. Why would we want to do that? Why would a little game like Spot It! that really is appropriate for even a three-year-old, why would I play something like that in my homeschool on a regular basis? With older kids even. Well, because of what I just mentioned. A quick little game that takes us maybe two to three minutes has gotten right and left sides of the brain firing back and forth with each other. It is getting children woken up practicing all those executive functioning skills. Not only are they building those executive functioning skills, they are ready to roll with those on a daily basis. Whether you're starting with children who are struggling and you spend a lot of time with brain training to build up those skills, or you're starting with a child who isn't really struggling but could just use a brain wake up in the morning, these are perfect to use. Another game that we love is the game Blink. It's another card game. It has several different shapes with different characteristics on them. Well you can play the game a couple of different ways, which you can find on my blog. But basically you have to use, again, visual. This one's a visual processing. You have to use your visual processing and working memory to be the first person to match cards based on various characteristics. Again, you have logical understanding. You have comprehension. You have processing speed. You have working memory, and you have visual attention all going on at once. You know another word for attention is focus. If you have a child who is easily distracted, unable to focus very well, unable to follow a series of directions very well, then you will want to look into brain training games for your homeschool. I could go on and on about this all day, but I know our time here is short, so I will wrap this up and just encourage you that homeschooling can be fun. The more fun you make it, the more your children are on board with things. Brain training games are a great way to bring some fun and some real learning into your homeschool and start your day off on a great foot. Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. About Cindy Cindy West is an eclectic Charlotte Mason homeschooler who found brain training as she searched for ways to help one of her children with attention and focus issues. After seeing magnificent results from a dedicated 8-week program, she has continued to include daily brain training activities into her homeschool day for the benefit of the entire family. Find Cindy online: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Blog Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Morning time has been an integral part of our home education for almost as many years as we’ve been homeschooling (going on 11 now!). It simplified our days and, even now with two teens, serves us well but in a different fashion. The discussions, the delight, and the way it has brought us closer together as a family through Truth, goodness, and beauty leave me in awe and wonder. Homeschooling has been such a blessing, especially considering I went into it reluctantly! I do credit studying all the riches, second only to God’s grace, with helping me stay the course. I hope you find joy and delight in morning time (by whatever name) in your family, too! Our favorite morning time curricula are: Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Printable Create Your Own Morning Time Planning Sheets Please click the image above to download the Create Your Own Morning Time pack! Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Finding Joy in the Story You are In Hey, it's Rachel from Finding Joy. When I was a little girl, we used to go to Southern Minnesota to visit my grandpa and grandma. My grandparents were farmers, and during harvest time, I rarely saw my grandpa. In fact, I rarely saw my grandma. You see, my grandpa was in the field harvesting, and my grandma was in the kitchen, making food for all the men who were out in the field working. I never doubted that my grandpa or my grandma loved me. In fact, I knew deep down, even though they never said it, that because they were busy during that time harvesting, that was a sign of their love. I know that sometimes in motherhood, you have these seasons where you can be incredibly busy, and you feel like your busyness is taking away from spending time with your kids. I want you to look at busy in two different ways today. I am grateful to be of service and bring you quality homeschool and homemaking content. I receive compensation through subscribers, curriculum sales, and affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Today's episode of Cultivating Grace is sponsored by: First of all, I want you to wonder about what type of busy you're busy with. In fact, think back to my grandpa and grandma. When it was harvest time, they weren't upstairs playing with us, they weren't coloring new pictures with us or taking us on trips. They weren't reorganizing the pantry, they were working. Sometimes in motherhood, we have seasons where we actually have to work hard, and it means that we don't have time with the kids. Sometimes we can feel guilt about taking time away from them. But you see, in actuality, you're not taking time away from the kids, you're doing what you need to do because you love them. It's guilt that makes us think that we need to be doing something else. In fact, guilt often denies the truth about our lives. You see, guilt distorts what we should be doing and tells us that we're not a good enough mom or that we should be doing this or we shouldn't have done that. It makes us forget all the beautiful things that we're actually doing every single day. So, if you're in a season where you have to work really hard or you're not sitting down there, cutting out paper dolls or the next craft with your kids, that's okay because it's just a season. Here's the second thing I want you to know about busy, sometimes we can be busy in places that we think are the right spots to be busy in. In fact, it can seem noble to be busy. We can tell our friends, look at everything that we got done. But let me ask you this, are you busy in places that actually change your life? Are you busy in places that you should be busy in? Or are you spending your time being busy in places that make you feel like you've accomplished much, but it's actually making you take away time from doing what you need to have done? Think back to my grandpa and my grandma. They weren't in the barn, shining those tractor attachments or my grandma wasn't reorganizing her pantry. They were busy in places that they needed to be busy. I know for myself and my story, I can find myself busy in things that really don't matter. There have been times where I need to make a phone call and I find myself in the laundry room, reorganizing boxes and sorting toys. I wasn't busy in the places that mattered in that moment. I was using busy as a way to deny, to kind of disguise what I needed to do. At the end of the day, I could say, "Hey, look, I got everything done. I just was too busy. I didn't get to that." But is busy keeping us from doing what we need to do? I want you to look at your to-do list really carefully, and with a gentle but yet critical eye, are there things on your to-do list that you have in the urgent spot that really don't belong there? Look at each item, look at it carefully. Yes, it's good to have a clean house, yes, it's good to get things done. But sometimes, there are other things that need to be in that spot, like getting your taxes done. Think about this, do you take time in your busy to take care of yourself? It's so easy to be so busy taking care of everything else that you put yourself on the back burner. But you're important too. You wouldn't tell your kids, "Just keep going. Just keeping busy. Don't ever take time off." You make sure that they have moments in their day where they can get that breath again, where they can take time off. You see, my grandma and grandpa had this collection of pictures on their wall, and every Spring, before planting began or any of the new seasons started, my grandma and grandpa would take a trip. Sometimes they'd be standing on a boat with a ship wheel behind them, sometimes they'd go to the mountains, but whatever it is, they would always take time back for themselves. Do you do that for yourself or are you in a constant state of busy? Time is going to pass no matter what. Your kids are going to grow, the busy is going to change, but what won't change is whether you decided in your busy to keep it rightly ordered and to take time for yourself. It's a balance, balancing busy and doing what you need to do, and figuring out if you're really spending time in the right spaces. One of the things I've learned being a mom almost 23 years is that I'm going to make mistakes, but the mistakes don't need to define. If my grandpa and grandma had a season where the harvest wasn't as great, it didn't mean that they stopped farming, it meant that they learned from the mistakes from the last year, sometimes they just had to give themselves grace because the weather dictated things beyond their control. It's the same in our own lives. We have outside things that happen that we have to adapt to, and sometimes we just make mistakes. But what really matters, it matters that you stand up again and you keep on trying, day after day, good day after bad day, night after night. Life was never meant to be a perfect collection of stories. Think about that. That would be the most dull, most boring story out there. Most stories have stories of triumph and stories of falling, of times where people figure out what they're doing right and what they're doing wrong. It's the same in our day to day life. If you're busy right now and space is where you think, "You know what, I really should change that," don't be hard on yourself, learn from it. Figure out what you want to do and how you want to do it, and give yourself grace for the moments when you don't know what you want to do. Listen, I appreciate you. There were days in my life where I had seven kids home at one time. I was homeschooling, the dishes were piling up, there were books everywhere, toddlers who dumped out things that I had just put away. I know what it's like to be busy, but I also know what it's like to not know what to do next or to lose my heart. You're the one in charge of your heart. You're the one that decides that you're going to take time for yourself today, that you're going to give yourself grace, and that you're going to try your best. The Brave Art of Motherhood That's really what the brave art of motherhood is. It's not being perfect, it's not knowing all the answers, it's not even having the life that you thought it would be. It's in trying every single day, knowing that you're doing your best and loving your children. That's why I wrote the Brave Art of Motherhood. It's really a rally cry for moms to find their heart again, to fight fear, to have that confidence. It's never about being perfect, but it's really about finding joy in the story that you're living right now. About Rachel: Rachel believes in the power of the human spirit to overcome, to thrive and to find deep joy and because of that she pours out her heart via these platforms: she is the writer behind the site FindingJoy.net and author of The Brave Art of Motherhood. Her articles have been translated into over 25 languages, her site reaches millions of visitors per month and she has a robust, engaged Facebook community. Her content has been featured in The Huffington Post, iVillage, The Today Show, Star Tribune, iVillage, Stuff New Zealand, PopSugar, Motherly, Parents, What to Expect, NBC Parents, IJR, Dr. Greene, and many more. She speaks worldwide encouraging moms and entrepreneurs to live each day with purpose and drive. Beyond that, she’s a mom to seven, and calls Nashville, Tennessee, her home. Find Rachel online at her Finding Joy Blog Facebook Page and at her Substack Life; all in. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe

Motherhood and Charlotte Mason Have you heard of the term ‘mother culture’ while perusing your favorite Facebook group? If you’re wondering what the mother culture definition is and where it came from and you are teaching your children at home, STOP what you are doing right now and continue reading. It’s critical to your well-being and future. It may even prevent homeschool burnout! Now that I have your attention, let’s get to its definition. What makes Charlotte Mason Motherhood unique? ‘Mother culture’ is a term coined by an author simply known as A. in an article edited by Charlotte Mason in a parent’s magazine Parent’s Review (Volume 3) during the early 1890’s. The word ‘culture’ is defined as ‘manifestations of human intellectual achievement’. This may cause you to pause, but bear with me for a moment. We obviously know what ‘mother’ means, so let’s combine both words together and put it simply, it means a mother who grows her mind through education. Are you, my fellow homeschool mom, expanding your mind? If not, you are missing out -- yet, it's never too late! There are so many possible areas of discovery! For example, did you have any hobbies that you haven’t explored since becoming a mother? Maybe you tended a garden every year before the kids were born but now the weeds have overtaken the soil? Or, maybe you loved reading a certain book genre and now find yourself only reading children's books like Goodnight Moon? Your children are learning and growing in leaps and bounds. Your husband’s skill sets in his profession and personal life are soaring. Yet, you are SO focused on raising the kids that you forgot about someone. Yourself. If you must know, I was guilty of this very thing. When the children were younger, I put all my efforts and time into them. I lived vicariously through their activities, strengths, and abilities. Yet, I was not cultivating my own interests and talents. My Charlotte Mason Motherhood Story Here’s my story. Before earning the title ‘mom’ over a decade ago, I absolutely loved anything technology-based. I spent hours at night on the computer after my full-time project management job building a website from scratch. Yet, now that I was a stay at home mom, I had left behind most of my technical achievements. Then, about three years ago, something profound happened. I noticed the kids were getting more independent with school work and piano. When I would try to show my daughter how to play a chord or finish a math equation, she repeatedly answered, “Mom, I can do it myself!”. This was my light bulb moment! My children were building their own skill sets with confidence and poise -- but I wasn’t! I had invested all of my time into their lives, but not my own. Charlotte was right -- Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life. It was time to start picking up my passions again and educating myself. So, I ordered business and goal-oriented books from the library online. I perused the best videos online to learn how to create websites using new tools. It was time to dust off my storybook and begin a new chapter! How to Cultivate Motherhood in Your Home This is exactly what Charlotte Mason’s directives for mothers is referring to -- fostering our own desires and passions, for a little time each day. Even if it’s just for a half hour! Charlotte gave us a great example to follow with her own habits of reading and study. A., who I think we'd all love to know a bit better, asked the wisest woman and best role model she knew her secret to private time even with bad health and busy schedule. This lady's saving grace was reading books. She would always keep 3 titles available: a stiff book, an easy book, and a novel. When she was free for a few minutes, this intellectual woman took time to refresh herself. Everyday Graces Homeschool is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Your Charlotte Mason Motherhood Story Are you taking time for yourself? What new habit can you form today? What skill sets would you like to acquire? Get online now and order a fascinating biography, a fun read, and a factual book either at the library or at your favorite virtual bookstore. But, if your answer is ‘there’s no time’, I believe Charlotte would certainly respond to you with a polite rebut something like -- You can. You ought. You will. In this electronic era, there’s no reason why we can't flourish in our own tutelage. Remember, your family can glean ideas from your continuing education as well. They want to hear your passions and -- it just might cultivate a seed or two in your children. So, today is a new day, my friend. If you're not sure where to start, begin your new journey with finding three new best friends -- books. Look for an easy read, a bit harder read, and a more intentional book. You’ll be inspired, encouraged, and motivated to keep moving forward and develop your own motherhood story. Thanks for reading Everyday Graces Homeschool! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to Everyday Graces Homeschool at everydaygraceshomeschool.substack.com/subscribe