After the Bible in 90 Days, Now What?

While I was reading through the Bible in 90 days, I was impressed over and over in the gospels by the Jews reactions to Jesus the Messiah.  I've decided to spend some more time in the gospels, and I found this really neat Bible study on Matthew that studies the book from a Jewish perspective using historical Jewish texts as references.

I am looking forward to reading this gospel from a Jewish perspective to get a better understanding of the people's response to Christ.

Bible in 90 Days- Day 88 Check In

I have read through the entire Bible in 88 days!  I finished today even though I had used a grace day earlier because the last day's reading was really short.

Reading through the entire Bible in this amount of time has been a great experience.  Here are some things I have learned:

1.Reading the Bible faithfully truly is a discipline.  I am an avid reader and when I have read through the Bible in a year in the past, it really didn't require much of me.  But reading so much every day really challenged me to make time and make Bible reading a priority.
2. Reading quickly through the Bible in this way gave me a very unique picture of the flow of Scripture.  Sometimes when I read or study books in isolation or even when I have read the Bible in a year, I lose the sense of connectedness that I had reading through in this short time.
3. No matter how many times I read the Bible, God can make it fresh and new to me.  Every day I noticed things I have never noticed before even though I have read through the Bible many times.

I am very glad I followed through with this challenge.  I am going to do some more in depth reading/study of particular books throughout the rest of this year, but I would like to do this challenge again next year.

Weekly Wrap Up- The Sick Kid Edition

I had all good intentions of not taking another break through the spring and instead finishing up our required 180 days of school by the end of April and taking all of May off.  But, alas, it was not to be.

I caved and took Monday off after a busy weekend.  Kathryne was sick on Tuesday, so that was another day scrapped.  After that I knew she would be recovering on Wednesday and our baby, Abby, wasn't coming to stay because Kathryne had been sick.  Jason ended up having Thursday and Friday off.  So, we had Spring Break this week!  You gotta love the flexibility of homeschooling!

We've had some interesting happenings going on in the meantime.  Jason changed jobs- which I don't even think I posted about- but has now gone back to his job at the church.  This is why he ended up with Thursday and Friday off of work.  Turns out that while working on cars for a hobby is lots of fun, working on them for a living is not so much.  I am just thankful that he did have options and was not stuck in a job he really disliked!

We did get some gardening in this week.  My last post shows our new plantings and our hopes for our spring garden.

I had the opportunity to go to a local mini homeschool convention today.  I attended two good workshops and got to visit one of my favorite homeschool bookstores who had a booth at the convention.  It was nice to be recharged for the rest of the school year.

Next week, I am planning a regular school week.  We may take off Friday because we would like to go camping if the weather permits.

You can read more Weekly Wrap Ups at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Birthday Pictures- Finally

Jason and Ashlyne both have a birthday in March.  We chose to do one big party for both of them last weekend.  Jason really loved the Disney Princess cake I made for the two of them.  Belle is Ashlyne's favorite princess.  I'm not sure which one was Jason's.

Free slideshow generated with Smilebox

Our Attempt At Gardening

I always wish for a garden in the spring. Two different years before we moved into this house we had a garden. The first year we did it, several things grew well. The last year we tried, not so well. Last year we went so far as to actually till a plot, but we never got to the planting. So, needless to say, we are not really garden people.

But, every homeschool family has to have a garden, right? I mean all homeschoolers grow their own food while they are also baking all their own bread and sewing all their own clothes. Um, no. But, I have wanted to have a garden. All children love planting and getting dirty. And nature study goes along really well with gardening- especially since we just finished a science book about plants.

So, today we headed to Lowes and picked out some plants, some herbs, and some vegetables. We settled for container gardening using an old sandbox with its lid. Here is what we've got so far:

 We started the vegetable seeds in the little planters but planted our flower bulbs directly in the soil.

Kathryne's famous words, "Now, mom, please don't kill our plants."  I hope we will all learn something from our garden this spring- like how to keep plants alive.

Bible in 90 Days- Day 82 Check In

It is hard to believe that in 6 more days, I will have read through the entire Bible in 90 days. (Actually I think I may make it in 89 because I have only used one grace day.)

I am reading now through Galatians, and because I was catching up today, today's reading was also through Romans and Corinthians. Romans is one of my favorite books in the Bible. Romans, along with Galatians, is a constant reminder of God's amazing grace. So many times Paul, the author of these books, reminds us how the Law couldn't save anyone. All the Law could do was point out how bad mankind really was. There was no way we could keep the Law. But God commmendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Amen and Amen!

Of Spring and time changes and consignment sales and St. Patrick's Day

Spring is in the air. The time has changed. Hooray! I love it when we can go outside after supper and play in the light! I don't love it quite so much when my alarm goes off at 7:00, and it is still dark. But, I can sacrifice. Spring is actually my favorite season. I am especially looking forward to it this year because of the cold, rainy winter we've had.

Around here, the changing of the seasons means children's consignments sales. We've had one locally the past three weeks. I usually avoid going to these things like the plague. I prefer to get all our clothes as hand-me-downs, from freecycle, or at Goodwill. Occasionally I will buy something off the clearance rack at Target. But going to the consignment sales usually means fighting a crowd and standing in line. I have broken down and gone to these last ones though because I am getting desperate for kids clothes. We haven't had as many hand-me-downs lately! I did get some really good deals, and at today's sale, I even found some clothes for Kathryne. (The older the child, the fewer the consignment clothes.) Unfortunately we also ended up with a My Little Pony Amusement Park that I am sure we needed about as much as much as we need more rain around here. But, it made a child happy and certainly cost less than new!

Today was St.Patrick's Day. I should have done some sort of special school unit or something about St. Patrick, but to be honest, we skipped school today. We were able to tour Jason's new job (which he starts Monday) today. Then Charles went to work with Jason, and I took all the girls to the consignment sale. To my credit, I will say that I have taught the kids about St. Patrick in the past. And when I went to draw a four leaf clover on our day board today, Kathryne said, "You know, Mom, St. Patrick really used a three leaf clover." (Like, duh) At first it didn't register. After I drew the clover, I said, "You know, St. Patrick really used a three leaf clover because he taught about the Trinity. Kathryne: "Um, yeah, that's what I just said."

And that's the kind of day I've had. Come on spring! I think I'm ready for Spring Break!

Bible in 90 Days- Day 73 Check In

The Gospels:

I am flying through the four Gospels with amazing speed. It is occasionally difficult to keep them straight reading so quickly. I keep reading and rereading and trying to assimilate it all.

Several things I am constantly struck by in the reading of the Gospels:
1. Jesus was very confrontational. His message was not easy for the people to accept.
2. Jesus was very socially active. He didn't swoop in and save the world in the way some people expected, but He did change people's lives. He healed, he fed, he listened, he ministered to physical as well as spiritual needs. I am convicted by my lack of social activism.
3. People were changed when they met Jesus. They either worshiped Him or hated Him, but they were changed.

I found this interesting chart of the synopsis of the four gospels (note the Chinese version). I like to be able to see the events mentioned in the Gospels and compare what each writer says about the event.

Bible in 90 Days- Day 68 Check In

I have made it to the New Testament! I mentioned in my last check-in how exciting it is, having read through the prophets and thinking of what the Israelites were living through in their years of exile.

I often read through the Gospels and wonder how the people could have missed it. Why did they not accept Jesus for Who He was? How could they not see it? But, then I see the big picture. I've just read through the prophets- much of which was written during the time of the kings in Israel, some good, many bad. Idol worship was rampant. The people were eventually taken over by hostile nations and exiled. Almost 400 years passes from the last time we hear of the prophets to the coming of Christ. This was a time of silence for the Israelites. A time when the Romans came to power, taking over much of the known world.

Into this environment Jesus is born, not as a king who swoops in to save the day but as a baby, son of a carpenter. I can understand why they might have missed it. But Jesus is going to reveal Himself to them again and again. I am looking forward to the Gospels!

I found a really neat timeline that is a good picture of how things fall into place through the Bible. It is located at this site.

Spring is Coming (Maybe)

Can you see those tiny flowers? A harbinger of spring! We took the kids out to Winthrop Lake yesterday to ride the bike trails and walk around the lake. It actually seemed springy!

Bible in 90 Days- Day 66 Check In

Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum: I am continuing to read through the prophets and looking forward to the New Testament. Seeing the state of the people of Israel- the things they were going through in captivity, their spiritual condition- certainly sets up the coming of Christ in a fresh way! This is the world Jesus was coming into. This was the promise that God was constantly making to His people through the prophets. Wow!

One of my favorite Bible verses was in my reading tonight: Micah 5:8
8He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? True for God's people then and true for us now.

My Sweet Ray

Jason's mom took Rachel out last week to have pictures made. I don't have "professional" pictures done very often anymore, but these turned out really good!

Bible in 90 Days- Day 64 Check In

I am on day 64 of reading through the Bible in 90 days. I am still one day behind because I have used one of my "grace days." It is hard to believe in less than 30 days, I will have read through the entire Bible since January!

I am reading in Hosea right now. Although the prophets are not my favorite reading, Hosea is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Hosea's relationship with his harlot wife is a picture of God's relationship with unfaithful Israel (and unfaithful us). When Hosea's wife leaves him to go back to her harlot ways, he seeks her out and buys her back. What a beautiful picture of God's redemption of His people Israel and of us! Hosea reminds us that there is hope in the dark days of Israel's judgment. God does not forget or abandon His people!

Weekly Wrap Up- The Snow Day Edition

As I posted yesterday, our warm and sunny south has not been so warm and sunny this winter. This week we had more snow. For some reason my children think that means no school. I have tried to explain that snow does not keep us from school as it does the public schools. Anyway, the snow, which lasted all day Tuesday but didn't stick too much, disturbed our week slightly.

Monday, we had a normal school day.

Tuesday, we did our school work while watching the snow come down all day. Most of it did not stick because the temperatures were well above freezing.

On Wednesday, I let the big kids complete their independent work quickly and head outside for a while to play in the muddy, snowy slush that stuck around. None of our Wednesday activities were canceled, so we headed out Wednesday afternoon to dance and AWANA.

Thursday was a good school day at home also. We are plugging along and getting much done. Kathryne is enjoying Saxon math. It is more work for her, but she is getting used to it and I think she is going to learn alot.

Friday, we were able to have a fun field trip to Earth Fare for a kids cooking class. The kids listened to a story and made cheese quesadillas and beans and rice. Thankfully the weather was beautiful Friday afternoon, so the kids were able to play outside. We are not going to do this last session of co-op on Fridays, but we are looking forward to a field day with our co-op friends in April.

Blog Hopping- What a Neat Idea!

In reading some of my favorite blogs this week, I came across something new (to me anyway): Blog Hopping. What a great idea for "meeting" new homeschooling families all over the web.

So, hop on over to Our Worldwide Classroom, and join the blog hop!

More Snow

First there was snow in January:




Then there was snow in February:




Then this week, there was snow in March:



And I thought I lived in the South!

Bible in 90 Days- Day 60 Check In

Two observations while reading through Lamentations and Ezekiel:

1. It was awfully hard to be a prophet. People hated you. God told you to do weird things. Most people didn't believe you. And really, wouldn't you want to be wrong just once about some of the awful things that were going to happen?!

2. Israel's turning away from God is constantly compared to harlotry and adultery. We are created to be God's. When we turn away from him, we are unfaithful, just as an unfaithful wife.

And my one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible was in my reading yesterday:

Lamentations 3:
21But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation:

22It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.(A)

23They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

What a great promise in the midst of all this gloom and doom!