January 09 Edition | Heart of the Matter

A Day in the Life of Homeschooling Boys

While I would love to be able to say I am one of those moms who has her days planned out, an organized schedule of events, or at least an agenda, the truth is that our day is often a series of tangents and bunny trails. Not to...

An Unplanned Delight-Directed Homeschool Day

This is a sample of typical homeschool day for us. Our study took on a life of its own going in several unplanned directions (lessons running amuck is norm for us). I teach using a combination of several different teaching...

Fun with Photography Featuring Lightroom 2

In my opinion, there should be two additional chapters in books written for expectant mothers: photography and hair cutting. Even if you’ve never held a camera or a pair of hair scissors, you will once your baby arrives. If you...

To Please My Husband

My personal journey toward finding God in my marriage In November of 1998, I looked into the eyes of my newborn daughter and fell in love. My whole worldview began to change. My whole life I had intended on working, sending my...

They Learn From You First

One of my very favorite movies is Parenthood (PG-13). The movie centers around one character, Gil (Steve Martin), as one of four siblings navigating his way through adulthood and the many twists and turns of his immediate and...

On the Rocks?

I once heard a college professor suggest that marriage should be a five-year contract with the option to renew–or not–at the end of that contract. Most of the world seems to take marriage lightly. Many confuse lust...

Family Traditions

When I hear the words Family Traditions, Norman Rockwell images come to mind with their wholesome, yet quirky portrayals of family life in America. But, what if your family wasn’t big on traditions or your family life was a far...

Wait! Before you Stop the Car and Get Out… 10 Burnout Busters that Can Help!

My husband and I have been involved in church ministry for the full 14 years of our married life. We have planned and prepared many different kinds of programs, hosted innumerable (and delightful!) dinner guests, taught countless...

What a Day, What a Day!

People often ask me what it’s like to home school a first grader (Cameron, age 7) with two other small children (Zack, 4 and Eliana, 2) at home. After this little ditty, they might be sorry they asked. But here’s A...