Teaching Parents to Teach Their Children Charlotte Mason Writing

The class I wrote for parents wanting to learn about Charlotte Mason writing to, so they can now teach their children, is published!!

https://schoolhouseteachers.com/2016/07/learning-to-write-with-the-charlotte-mason-method/

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

I am so excited to see one of my articles in an actual magazine!!  Please, take time to read it, and enjoy this beautiful magazine!!

http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine-digital.com/thehomeschoolmagazine/2016x3/MobilePagedReplica.action?pg=50#pg50.

I have one of my articles on page 47 - 48!!

An Oily Adventure

I am on a new adventure!  Not new to thousands of people, but new to me.  Really, it is out of necessity for my family, as with our high deductible ($6000.00 person), starting from June 1st to June 1st, we have only met our deductible 4 times in the 28 years that my husband has been working at his job in 28 years.  At any rate, I have begun researching Essential Oils.  I have researched myself silly into confusion in fact!  There are so many Essential Oil Companies out there, and finding the ones that are legitimate, certified therapeutic, organic ones out there.  And if they don't follow those guidelines, as well as only contained in dark bottles, then they are cheap, artificial knockoffs.  There are hundreds of them out there, but if you don't find the true ones, you won't have the true beneficial benefits the "real" essential oils that God provided us through the flowers, plants and trees He provided us as natural
medicines.

Did you know that there are over 300 references in the Bible about essential oils?  Frankincense and Myrrh are two of the most popular ones that were used for many, many years.  Just think, did they open their medicine cabinets and pull out prescription medicines, or did they pull out essential oils from the plants and flowers around them?

So while on this journey, I really desire to put together as much information about essential oils as I can, and pray that God will guide me to the best, purest ones that HE would have me use for my friends and family.  So if you will, pray with me so that I am able to find and make only God's best essential medicines and creams and butters that HE would have me make.

Have You Met Charlotte Mason?

Have you met Charlotte Mason? She was a remarkable British woman who was far ahead of our time when it comes to educating our children. She was born in 1842 in England, but was orphaned at the age of 16 when both of her parents passed away. It was at this time that she came to truly love children while living with different families to help them out in their homes so as to have a place to live. So at 18, she decided to join a teacher’s training college. After a year of training, due to financial need, and her wonderful connection with children, she was offered an official teaching position there.

 Miss Mason was given a God-given gift when teaching her pupils. Her belief was this…“Children are born persons.” She treated ALL persons, no matter what age, race or class they were, with kindness, politeness and respect. Charlotte frequently said, “Always remember that people­­ matter more than things. Don’t say anything that will leave a sting.”

Her greatest desire was to teach the “whole child,” and not to just pour information in to them as though they were robots who were to spew back out what had been poured in to them. Her quote has become one that is well known amongst many homeschooling families now-a-days, and that is, “Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, and a Life”

By “Atmosphere,” she meant the surroundings in which the child grows up. Is your home an organized, peaceful place for your children to enjoy and be content in? Where they have freedom to go outside and enjoy the fresh air? Or is your home cluttered, chaotic, and lacking peace so that your children are less than thrilled to come home? If this is the case, what can you do to change it?

As to “Discipline,” Charlotte meant the discipline of good habits, and especially habits of character. Good habits are not acquired simply by making good resolves, though the thought must precede the action. She believed that parents should make this a high priority while their children are young, one habit at a time, and to continue to work on as they grow older.

Lastly, “Life,” is the third area she speaks of, applies to academics with living thoughts and ideas, not just dry facts.

As a final thought…“We hold that all education is divine, that every good gift of knowledge and insight comes from above, that the Lord the Holy Spirit is the supreme of mankind, and the culmination of all education…is that personal knowledge of, and intimacy with God in which our being finds its fullest perfection.” (Charlotte Mason)

Kelly Benedict is a 24 year homeschooling veteran and mother of 9.  She and her husband are awaiting the birth of their 14th grand-baby, all under the age of 10.  She and her family, only 4 of whom are still in the nest, live in a tiny country town in Iowa.  She writes lesson plans for TOS, and specializes in Charlotte Mason’s theories and philosophies after a year of college through True North, and using CM’s methods over the years. 

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!

This has been a very interesting past 3 months...some bad, but mostly good!!!  To start off with, we sold our house in Macedonia, and moved in to a beautiful house in a tiny little country town.  Our old house sold, and we bought our new one, all in three week's time!  GOD IS SO GOOD!!  We moved in to our new house 10 days before Christmas, and yes, in the rain and snow.  Did we put up a tree?  YES!  It wasn't up long, but it was up!  Then I received the opportunity to do some writing! Yes, actually writing about one of my loves, homeschooling!  I am so blessed to say that I am now helping to write lesson plans for "Schoolhouse Teachers," then I accepted the challenge of writing an actual article that would possibly be an article monthly for the blog, "Homeschooling with Heart."  I was one of the chosen!!  Then, to add to God's favor, I was offered the chance to write an article for the magazine, "The Old Schoolhouse Magazine," and be paid for it!!  I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of all of this!!!!!

Then, my husband surprised me by us finally being able to pay off our big 15-passenger van (which is the kind of vehicle I have been driving for the past 24 years), and bought me a 2011 Ford Explorer, which is the newest vehicle I have ever driven!  That is a total God thing!!









Then, we were blessed on Monday with a healthy, strong litter of cockapoo puppies, which is the breed I am breeding now.  Only one or two litters per year, but that is fine to me as they are part of our family, and they used to all people, children of all ages, and will have their first shots and wormings.  Mama is the mini red poodle, and daddy is a chocolate & white cocker spaniel.

Tasha is a great Mama!

2 girls & 1 boy

   











Another blessing our family has been blessed with is two new Persian kittens. One of my special babies died this last fall, and we don't know why.  I was heartbroken.  Well my friend, who is a Persian cat breeder in DesMoines, had a litter of kittens and one that I might fit with perfectly.  Well I did!  Her name is Savannah.  And then, she had a baby brother who is handicapped, because his brain stem didn't grow as it should have, so his equilibrium is off.  She asked if I would want him, and work with his special needs, or she would have to put him down.  I read and also found out that he is in no pain, will have a regular life span of 15 - 18 years, still can be taught, etc.  So, I said an absolute yes!  They are two wonderful kittens!!  I love them to pieces!  And I have 2 other Persians that are now two years old.  I so love my cats!!
         (Pixel my handicapped kitten, Sasha - top, Snickers - bottom, Savannah - right)

 



Another thing happened, my computer of two years took a nose dive (or rather the internal battery did), nearly right out my living room window!  It had been frustrating me for quite some time, and I literally wanted to throw it across the room!  I kept my patience, barely, and my husband fixed up an old one of his for me, which lasted only a short time, so for my birthday, my honey bought me a new one!!!  See, God IS so good!!

And yet another wonderful thing has happened as well...Grandbaby #14 (Ashley & Perry are the proud parents) is on the way!!!!  Only a few more weeks left and he/she will be here!  And all of our grandbabies are under the age of 10! We are SO blessed and excited!!