Marsha | Heart of the Matter

September 2, 2010 By Marsha 4 Comments

Here in the world of cyberspace, people often delineate friendships that are IRL (in real life) and friendships that are formed online (y’know, internet friends).

In Jan 2008, two internet friends that had never even met IRL launched an online ministry to serve an ever growing group that was close to their hearts– the homeschooling community. Amy Stults and Amy Bayliss (aka The Amies) have prayed and worked diligently to make Heart of the Matter {online} what it is today, a thriving site that offers support, encouragement and resources to over 10,000 homeschoolers a day.

HOTM is their baby. And like any baby, you are so proud when they start crawling… then walking… then running!

Babies grow and change. Just as there are seasons in a baby’s life, there are seasons in ministry. These seasons are necessary for growth, health, rejuvenation and staying in the race for the long haul. We here at HOTM are embarking on a new season of change. Don’t fret, this new season will be just as beautiful as the last one and we’ll still be the same homeschooling friend you can turn to and learn alongside. The difference will be Heart of the Matter will now be under the leadership and guidance of their dear friend Angela DeRossett.

Both Amy’s have very inspiring new projects in the works so you’ll definitely be seeing them around the Internet. Amy Stults is involved in an exciting new venture with Leah Nieman, the co-founder of CurrClick (more details coming soon) as well as taking time to concentrate on her love of genealogy. Amy Bayliss will be focusing on cultivating A Woman Inspired and will be offering more conferences than ever. We hate to keep you waiting but Amy B. also has a huge surprise project in the works…one that you all will LOVE! Lord willing, you will hear all about Amy and Amy’s new projects in October.

Heart of the Matter’s new owner, Angela, is a fun-loving, married to the military, homeschooling mother of four. She has four cats and a great big dog and loves her very full house. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Christian Education and holds a Bachelor’s of Arts and Science in Christian Ministries. Angela is a coffee and theology junkie and is passionate about Autism advocacy and disability rights. You can find her blogging at Memoirs of a Chaotic Mommy and Homeschooling the Chaotic Family.

A Word from Angela…

I have been granted the blessing of stepping up to continue Heart of the Matter’s ministry as the new owner. The ‘Amies’ have set the bar awfully high in the way they have grown this ministry and all they have accomplished throughout the past three years. I am honored to have the opportunity to be a part of Heart of the Matter’s ongoing growth. Having seen their work, firsthand, I can say that their heart and souls will always be in this ministry and intertwined in its legacy. Thank you for the opportunity to serve all of you in the same way they have served me and thousands of others.

Change can be bittersweet, especially if your name is Amy. Not to worry though! They will still be around, looking after their precious baby from a distance.
…

August 6, 2010 By Marsha 3 Comments

If you’re going to our Conference, on Monday it will start.
Check your email now if you are taking part.
A packet we have sent you, instructions you will see
On how to log right in and join our company
Is it missing? Do not fret
Just check your SPAM, it’s there I bet!
If it’s not, send us a note
(We’ll be much nicer than a billy goat.)
To conference@heartofthematteronline.com
This rhyme must end before I bomb.
(It’s too late for that already, isn’t it?)

P.S. Please keep in mind that we receive a TON of email and may not be able to reply to you right away. We appreciate your patience.

P.S.S. If you haven’t purchased a ticket yet, there is still time! Hop on over to the conference website and click the registration link in the sidebar. You’ll be entered to win over $2000 in door prizes, plus you get over $300 in freebies, AND you’ll get to cyber-hang with the likes of our super sweet hostesses, and other awesome attendees like Stef, Nikowa, Tracy, Kris, and many more, including ME!

P.P.S.S. Don’t be intimidated with my rhyming skills. But my robot skills? Yeah, you can be intimidated by that.

June 8, 2010 By Marsha 2 Comments

For many of y’all, the school year is wrapping up and your mind begins to fill with thoughts of staying in your jammies IN BED for a little longer than the usual bright-and-early. Or maybe you school year-round like I do and hunker down with the books when the sun’s heat is most intense.

Either way, now is the time to spare a few minutes to think ahead to next year!

No really, I’m not kidding. What if I told you that YOU CAN STILL STAY IN YOUR JAMMIES? And even have chocolate for breakfast. At 11:00am. And not have to leave the comfort of your house– or even your bed if you are a lucky-ducky laptop owner?

I am super excited to announce that registration is now open for the 2010 Heart of the Matter Online Homeschooling Conference!

This year, the Conference will be August 9-13th.

Some people have said some very nice things about our past conferences, but this year’s conference will be even better! We have switched to a new conference software and now you will even be able to see some of the speakers and hostesses via webcam. Don’t worry, they won’t be able to see you– so your mismatched jammies, bedhead, and chocolate for breakfast secrets will remain safely guarded!

Trust me, you’ll WANT to hear what these great speakers and authors have to say!

Susan Wise Bauer, author of Story of the World and The Well Trained Mind
Sally Clarkson, author of Educating the WholeHearted Child and The Mission of Motherhood
Jeannie Fulbright, author of Apologia’s elementary science curriculum
Shelly Ballestero, author of Beauty by God
Lee Binz, founder of The HomeScholar
Dr. Stephen Guffanti, creator of the Rocket Phonics reading program
Israel Wayne, author of Homeschooling From A Biblical Worldview
Jonathan Lewis, editor of Home School Enrichment Magazine
Karin Katherine, author of Mommy Matters
Melinda Boring, founder of Heads Up Now!
Joyce Burges, founder of the National Black Home Educators
Heidi St. John, author of The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Romance

Not sure what to expect from an online homeschooling conference? Click HERE to read some FAQ’s.

Encouragement, advice, fellowship, and fun– that’s what I am looking forward to the most. I can’t wait to see y’all there! And maybe you’ll actually see me too… which may or may not be a good thing– yikes!

Marsha Drews is proud to be the Mrs. to David for 14 years and counting. They have been homeschooling their rowdy boys in the Lone Star State for the past 7 years. When she’s feeling like a slacker, you can find her drinking coffee, reading a book and writing at her blog — and sometimes all at the same time! You can find Marsha at Other Such Happenings.

May 8, 2010 By Marsha 20 Comments

I was at the grocery store on the day before Mother’s Day last year. It was late in the evening and I ran into a frazzled looking dad with two kids in tow. I must have had that mom-out-on-a-Saturday-night look because he stopped me and asked a question.

If you were to have breakfast in bed, would waffles and strawberries be enough or is bacon required?

I told him that breakfast in bed is a gift in and of itself, even if it were just a bowl of cereal. But bacon… ahhhh… bacon is always a bonus! Dad, son and daughter then ran off to grab the bacon.

I felt kind of deflated inside after this discussion. I have never, ever been served breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day. Why don’t *I* ever get breakfast in bed? When I was a child, we would make my mom breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day. Ugh, this shouldn’t bother me so much, should it?

Then the light bulb went off.

My husband was raised by his dad. His dad did a fantastic job as a solo parent and they have an amazing relationship. So my husband was not with his mom on Mother’s Day morning to serve her breakfast in bed. How in the world is he supposed to model or inherently know this seemingly sacred of all gifts for the big M-Day without me telling him? Should he be able to read my mind? (Which is often followed up with the very mature: Well, if he doesn’t know then I’m certainly not going to tell him. Hmph.)

Okay, I need to stop that line of thinking in its tracks. Nothing like a holiday to make one feel entitled and disappointed. And bratty, let’s not forget about the bratty. Do I need some cheese with my whiiiiine?

Disappointment happens when I’m being selfish. Disappointment happens when I think of what I don’t have, rather than the GIFT of what I DO have! And disappointment happens when unrealistic or unclear expectations are not met. For me, it was the expectation of breakfast in bed. For others, it’s being swayed by those horrid diamond commercials. “He must not really love me if I don’t get that kiss that begins with K.” Or perhaps “your day” being ruined by fighting on the way to church Sunday morning (and I’m not talking about the kids either).

Hey mom, you do a great job serving your family all year long! It is a very high calling to be entrusted with little bodies and souls to raise for the Kingdom. Don’t ruin “your” day by being a baby.

Open your eyes and see how your family shows their love to you! Perhaps it’s just a big ole hug and smile with a sincerely said “Happy Mother’s Day, mommy. I love you!” Or that handful of yardflowers instead of florist flowers. Be thankful and let those gifts bless you.

For those of you who are spending Mother’s Day alone this year or missing someone that is close to your heart, you can still choose to be thankful too. You can still choose JOY. It is not easy, but it is possible. You, dear friend, were born and given the gift of life. You have a mother- even if you never knew her, even if she disappointed you somehow, even if she is no longer on this earth. And you have a Heavenly Father that loves you SO much, He gave His Son Jesus to die for you. You are special, you are important, you are loved. Happy Mother’s Day to you!

Marsha Drews is proud to be the Mrs. to David for 14 years. They have been homeschooling their rowdy boys in the Lone Star State for the past 7 years. When she’s feeling like a slacker, you can find her drinking coffee, reading a book and writing at her blog — and sometimes all at the same time! You can find Marsha at Other Such Happenings.

December 31, 2009 By Marsha 6 Comments

When I think of New Year’s Eve, I think back to my childhood where we’d have another family (or two) over and party at home. We’d ring in the new year with board games, laughter and LOTS of snacks.

Since Christmas required an abundance of cooking, I say we hit the easy button when it comes to New Year’s Eve snacks!

My family has always loved this quick recipe for Simple Turtles. We love it for its simplicity, few ingredients and kid-friendly steps.

INGREDIENTS:

tiny pretzel twists
Rolo candies, unwrapped
pecan halves

1 pretzel twist + 1 Rolo + 1 pecan half = 1 treat

1. Heat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet. You may wish to line it with parchment paper or a light coating of cooking spray.

3. Place 1 Rolo atop each pretzel.

4. Put in 300 degree oven for 3-4 minutes, or until candy is soft (but still keeps its shape).

5. Remove from oven and immediately press pecan half on top of each candied twist. Make sure children are careful as the pan will still be hot!

(If you don’t care for pecan halves or would rather have a more colorful treat, you can smoosh it down with peanut M&Ms instead!)

6. Cool completely before removing from the pan. If you are compelled to not eat all of the turtles in one sitting, leftovers may be stored in an airtight container. I recommend layering with wax paper to keep them from sticking together.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y’ALL! May God bless you abundantly!

Marsha is proud to be the Mrs. to David for over 13 years. They have been homeschooling their rowdy boys in the Lone Star State for the past 6 years. When she’s feeling like a slacker, you can find her drinking coffee, reading a book and writing at her blog — and sometimes all at the same time! You can find Marsha at Other Such Happenings.

October 8, 2009 By Marsha Leave a Comment

I am a huge fan of quick cooking, especially since a very good idea (for other people) like Once a Month Cooking (aka Freezer Meals ) usually don’t bode well for me.

The following is a recipe for Parmesan Chicken… it’s my quick and not-authentic-but-still-yummy version of Chicken Parmigiana.

PARMESAN CHICKEN

* 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
* 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese (fresh or the kind in the green can)
* butter
* spaghetti sauce
* mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Place individual piece of chicken in a plastic baggie and use a meat mallet to flatten to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Tenderizes the chicken and makes it uniform in size for quick, even cooking. Cut each flattened chicken breast in half.

2. Mix seasoned bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl.

3. Mix eggs in a separate medium bowl.

4. Heat pan and add a few pats of butter.

5. Dip chicken in crumb mixture, egg and then back in crumb mixture.

6. Pan fry in butter until chicken is cooked thoroughly and coating is golden brown. Be sure to add a little more butter to the pan right before you flip the chicken– it keeps the coating tasty and golden on both sides.

7. Remove from pan, add 1 Tablespoon (or more) of sauce to each piece of chicken, and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Serves 3-4 (depending on hunger and size of stomachs)
Prep and Cook time: 20 minutes

Marsha is proud to be the Mrs. to David for over 12 years. They have been homeschooling their rowdy boys in the Lone Star State for the past 5 years. When she’s feeling like a slacker, you can find her drinking coffee, reading a book and writing at her blog — and sometimes all at the same time! You can find Marsha at Our Homeschool and Other Such Happenings.

October 1, 2009 By Marsha Leave a Comment

Do you have a desire to make the written world a beautiful place? Are you searching for a way to showcase your talents as a digital designer?

We just might have the perfect place for you to showcase your talents!

HOTM is in need of a digital designer to assist in the development of a new project that will debut December 1, 2009. We will provide the text and photos, while you utilize your skill and creativity to add your own personal flair to this quarterly publication.

Experience in Photoshop, PaintShop Pro or similar graphic design program is required.
We anticipate this quarterly production to be approximately 20 pages in length.

While this is a non-paid position, you will receive full design and layout credit and many other benefits that come from being a member of the HOTM team.

If you are interested, please send us an email at the.amies@heartofthemattermagazine.com.

We know there is someone out there that is looking for a way to use the talents God has given them

…and we could use that talent.

June 19, 2009 By Marsha 11 Comments

June is the time of year when many local libraries and other bookstores offer Summer Reading Programs. If school is out for summer in your house, these programs can put some oomph and education into your lazy summer days. If you happen to be a year-round homeschooler (like yours truly), it’s also a great way to add a little spice and motivation to your school day!

My boys registered with our local library’s program yesterday and have already been able to mark off 2 hours of reading on their forms. Once they reach 10 hours of reading (either reading by themselves, to a sibling or even listening to an audio book), they will be able to attend a special pizza party at the end of July. They also receive prizes like a free book, kid’s meal at a local restaurant and even admission to a skating rink.

To help you get started in this exciting reading adventure, here is a list of Summer Reading Programs that may be in your area. Be sure to check out the details and rules of your particular reading program as they usually require registration. Also, they may require a certain number of books to be read rather than reading for a particular length of time. If there are any Programs that I might have missed, please let me know so l can add them to the list. And don’t forget to check your local public library!

Barnes & Noble

Borders/Waldenbooks

Chuck E. Cheese

Fazoli’s Friendly Reader Program

Half Price Books and Cici’s Pizza

H-E-B

Multiplex/Showcase Cinema’s Bookworm Wednesdays

Scholastic Books

Sylvan’s Book Adventure

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

June 8, 2009 By Marsha 9 Comments

School is out for summer! At least it is for the local schools and the majority of my homeschooling friends. Yours truly, however, will be plugging along throughout the upcoming hot, sweaty months! Can I get a hurrah?

*chirp chirp*

I didn’t think so.

If all goes according to schedule, we will finish up our “year” just in time for our annual off-season family vacation at the end of September. Yup, you read that correctly– September!

One of the many benefits of homeschooling is being able to choose the type of schedule that works best for your family. Many follow the traditional September through May calendar. Others have school all year long with a one week break thrown in every 6 weeks– and perhaps even the entire month of December off. Since I am about as trendy as my husband’s work schedule is predictable (he works for the airlines and only knows his schedule a month at a time), we school every day that we can and take breaks whenever something fun (or necessary) presents itself.

The downside to my kind of scheduling (ahem, besides the whole finishing in September thing!) is that it is very easy to always feel behind. I am positive that many of you can relate to this feeling, no matter what type of schedule you use. But why do we feel like that when we have made the requisite calendars and charted our goals appropriately? While I can’t answer for everyone else, I can speak for myself when I say that my problem lies with pride and comparison.

It kind of hurts the old pride when we school year-round on purpose, but others may view us as just being lazy and not getting it done. Y’know, like people who claim to homeschool but they aren’t really teaching their children anything. After all, if we were schooling instead of playing video games and eating ice cream all day, we wouldn’t still be in school when it’s already June (or July or August), would we? I also get myself in trouble when I look at how little Johnny is in 2nd grade and already doing quadruple digit division… whereas my 2nd grader is just learning his times tables. Maybe I am failing my kids? Ugh, we are so behind! Maybe if we have school 6 days a week and then add night school to 3 of those days– then we will be where we should be?!

All of these crazy thoughts are simply distractions and discouragement from staying the course and not enjoying this journey of homeschooling. I can get over the ridiculous comparisons and be confident in our schedule because of several things:

-I’ve prayed about it.
-I have a plan and goals that were already decided upon (ahem, last September).
-My husband and I are in agreement.
-We remain diligent, even in the face of discouragement and temptation (like being invited for the third time in a week to go to the lake or beach– it’s all about balance!).

So for all of you year-round homeschoolers out there, stay the course and do not be discouraged! Don’t fall into the trap of comparison and don’t let your pride be wounded because other people don’t understand why your family keeps a different schedule.

And for those of you that keep a traditional schedule, don’t forget that even though we are still hitting the books, you can still invite us to do fun things with you (oh please, oh please, oh please!). One of the biggest perks of going year round is that we can take advantage of opportunities to spend time and do things with our friends. And when it’s the end of September and you are already a couple weeks into your new school year, don’t be hatin’ me just because I’m lounging on an uncrowded beach somewhere. I’m just sayin’… count yourself invited!

May 30, 2009 By Marsha 5 Comments

I’ve got a newsflash for y’all. My boys are starting to grow up! Bit by bit and before I even realized it, they went from newborn baby blobs to crawling critters, from walkers to runners to riding their bikes, reading and even making me breakfast!

Perhaps you mommy’s of teenagers would cringe a little, but this mommy of the under 10 set is currently reveling in the delightful deliciousness of a breakfast that someone else prepared and served me! A previously frozen sausage kolache and a big ole glass of milk never tasted so good! (Now if I could just trust them enough to make me a latte…)

Truth be told, I have not always been so apt at training my young’uns to be self sufficient and useful! This is especially true with my poor guinea pig of a first child. He was supremely pampered in that I did almost everything for him… be it brushing his teeth, changing his clothes, washing his hair, or buckling him into his carseat… on and on the list goes. Eventually, I turned into a little robot on automatic pilot doing things for him that, quite frankly, he could do for himself!

It took a dear friend to bring me to my senses. Since she knew I was a defensive type of person (read: stubborn and proud and difficult), she worded her thoughts in a very clever manner. She said, “Marsha, I challenge you to let him put his own pants on.”

What?! You think that little 3yo is capable of such a demanding task? (I know… I know! I laugh at my old self now…)

Anyhow, my ever so sly friend used that word challenge. Uh… that’s like saying I triple-dog-dare-you. It’s a throwdown when you use that word. Bring it, girlfriend! There was absolutely no way I was going to fail this challenge even if it killed me.

But it didn’t kill me (or my boys)!

In fact, it was SO easy. It’s amazing how a child can live up to your expectations, whether they be high ones or low ones (like mine apparently had been). Not only could that boy put on his own pants the right way (aka not backwards), but he could also put his shirt on (sometimes backwards) as well as his socks (fortunately, there is no right foot/left foot with socks– too bad there’s an upside down– drat!).

**Cue the choir** I had a thought: If he can dress himself, what else can he do???

Oh the possibilities were endless! For a brief moment, I pictured myself living in the lap of luxury as he waited on me hand and foot. But then I pictured him saying You just had us kids so we could be your slaves! Okay, that wasn’t going to work. The last thing I need is for my kid to be bratty like I was when I was a teenager little kid!

Fast forward almost 7 years and a couple kids later. I am still needing the occasional challenge from my friend– challenging me to allow my kids to do certain things that they are fully capable of doing, if only I would let them.

Sometimes it would be as simple as letting them fix their own drinks at lunchtime or putting their clean clothes away. Other times it would be a bit more challenging like figuring out how to play DVDs with the bzillions of surround sound speakers blaring correctly.

This should also be applied to our homeschool. While we all want our kids to be independent learners down the road, what are we doing now to reach that goal? A breakthrough moment for me was to make a simple chart with the week’s lesson plans for each child. When they actually saw what would be required of them for the week, they began to take charge of their individual lessons and forged ahead with that extra page of math or the reading assignment for the day (or even the whole week). Talk about encouraging!

Some things that should be obvious (like the whole pants thing) are not always obvious to me– I can be as dense as a leftover fruitcake in July! That is why I truly appreciate feedback from good friends (both in real life and in the blogosphere).

Do any of you veteran mommies or home educators have any challenges that you’d like to issue? Have you had any simple “Aha!” revelations that you can share with your friends? I triple-dog-dare you to speak up. (Oh yes I did!) Not only might your friend benefit in some of your been-there-done-that wisdom, but you might find yourself positively challenged in return!

marsha Marsha is proud to be the Mrs. to David for over 12 years. They have been homeschooling their rowdy boys in the Lone Star State for over 5 years. When she’s feeling like a slacker, you can find her drinking coffee, reading a book and writing at her blog — and sometimes all at the same time! You can find Marsha at Our Homeschool and Other Such Happenings.

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