before and after.

We've been having SO much fun around here...

I'm sure you can imagine. :)

Booklists Old and New: 2013 & 2014

This post shall be Reflective on the one hand, as I note the books I've read in 2013, while on the other it shall adhere to this month's theme of Newness with a projected booklist for 2014.
Now you know. That there was my introduction.

:)

...and because the girl's extremely bored expression  makes. me. laugh., I'm putting it up AGAIN.

Last year, I set out to be more purposeful in my reading. I guess I probably did better than past years, but still I was not as purposeful as I'd like to be.

I made a Very Long Booklist for 2013. I sort of went hog wild listing titles left and right. I figured they were books I'd eventually like to read, so why not put them ALL on the list?! Silly me. There was a big difference in the list I made in January 2013 and what I had in December 2013. There were books that had been scribbled in on a whim and two months later were completely forgotten or that halfway through the year had lost their luster. Those along with some books that have been on the *to read* list for the last 4 years simply didn't get read. Obviously, I am a novice at advanced booklistkeeping.

Anyway, no more excuses, I read what I read and here's the list.

Wait, one more thing: I'm not going to comment on any of them this time around because, well, if this reflective-ish post is going to make it up inside January's borders, I have to post it as-is.

Oh, and I just thought of something else. I may try to make a linkable list later. Right now, I'm just going to post pictures of the list. That's about 68 times easier!

Yes, the list, it's coming...

Books actually read in 2013:



Now, for 2014.
I learned some things from reflecting on last year's Very Long Booklist. This year's list denotes changes based on those now *older and wiser* observations.

Starting with generalizing the categories, then slimming my pickings in each, I anticipate having room for more guiltless spontaneous reading throughout the year.

Also, I went ahead and cut all the books I've been thinking of reading for nigh on forever and will commit their fate to whichever way the winds of interest and curiosity blow.

Oh, the list? Right, that's where I was going....
Here you have it.

Books planned for 2014:


P.S. Incidentally, not all the books that I read to the kids for school have made the Booklists. Generally, I only included those I would read regardless of whether I was reading aloud to them or just for my very own self.

And it's possible I've forgotten to list one or two titles; and nary an author, since this is not an official bibliography (contact me if you simply cannot figure that out and absolutely must know).
So that's  pretty much it.

My friends booklists often help me decide which books to read.

These are a few of my friends' favorite things:

Jeanne's favorite 10
Mama Squirrel's 10 books that stuck
Nancy's Reader's Journal

It seems like there were a few more, but I'm so late in getting this up, the links are buried now... Anyway, if you've posted a booklist and you'd like to share, you can link to it in the comments, how's that?!

*(:K: stands for the kindle version.)

Where I've finally reflected...

Source: wikipaintings.org This upcoming term's artist is Manet... imagine my delight when I found this! :) Oh. so. lovely.

I have not in fact deflected my goals for reflection... honest, I have truly reflected. 

While most of it's still in my head, some of it's on paper, I have shared a teeny-weeny bit over here...

Reflections of Goodness... {the value}	Reflections of Goodness... {observed}

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I still hope to blog those reflections specific to our homeschooling year. What I've learned as a person and teacher-guide, as well as what we've learned and implemented in our school... I'll be posting that over at Fisher Academy. Hopefully, that will happen sometime tomorrow. We wrapped up term exams on Saturday, and I'm almost done with Term Planning today. It may yet be possible!

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{If you too are reflecting on 2013, click over to see if you'd qualify to enter the giveaway 

for a 2014 Art Calendar. Linky closes 12/31 @ midnight.}

On Reflections... {& Giveaway Announcement!}

Doesn't this picture give pause for reflection?
As we approach the end of the year, everyone soon will be (if they are not already) talking about New Year's resolutions. Don't worry, this is not a post about that, though one might be forthcoming. We shall see, I am as yet unresolved... ;)

However, I have resolved to keep with tradition this year and give away an ART calendar from Metropolitan Museum of Art. I love these things. You know, this summer I was a hop, skip and a jump away from the actual museum in NYC? Yep, and some of my bestest buddies from around the world were actually there right at that very same moment. Can you even believe it didn't work out for us to meet up there? I'm actually still mourning about it. My only experience of the Metropolitan Museum of Art remains the ART calendar. Something for which I can be and am thankful.


This is our happy calendar sitting front and center upon our school table.  Did I mention that it's super handy for copying down the date every day?
These calendars are GREAT for art exposure. I love mine; every day a different piece of art. I'm so thankful to Jimmie for introducing me to the idea some years back. Though I don't officially incorporate it into our Art/Artist Study, potentially you probably could. Especially useful would be the old calendars as you could cut up or paste favorite art prints into notebooks, sort and save them by artist or other some such. On an amazon review I read today, someone said that there is a lot of repeat of art between years. I've never noticed that. After all, there are 365 unique prints at least. We've displayed the annual for the last 3 years (and have 2014 waiting under the tree) and I've never noticed undue repetition.

Anyway, how would you like to have a 2014 ART calendar for your very own?? Well, you can buy one, just click right here. OR, you might receive one from yours truly. Here's how that'd work:


You reflect on your past year, write them down* and link up here or leave me a comment (non-bloggers, see note below). Of course, in keeping with the spirit of the thing, you shouldn't be reflecting just for an entry; you should really reflect. But, yep... It's that easy. I'll do a drawing and send out the calendar to one of you! If you're interested, keep reading.


You'll notice the *reflections* of the palm tree in the glass... :)

Recently, I just got to thinking, wouldn't it be helpful if we could make and take the time to reflect upon and to write some observations on living the past year? Perhaps we could learn some things about ourselves and our families? Perhaps this exercise could help us to make useful decisions regarding the coming New Year? It should ever be our goal to become more fit for life and service. By reflecting on past success and failures, perhaps we might continue ever upward in our pursuit of that goal?

How has this year gone for you in your family, in life, in your homeschool? What have you accomplished this year that you are proud of? Which things have you had to put aside because plans up and changed? What circumstances have made you stronger? In which areas do you see need for improvement?

The necessity of reflection is emphasized by Charlotte Mason all throughout Ourselves (that being somewhat the point of the volume) the fourth of her Homeschooling Series. “There are so many interesting things in the world to discuss that it is a waste of time to talk about ourselves. All the same, it is well to be up to the ways of those tiresome selves, and that is why you are invited to read these chapters.” (v4 p130)

Consider also this persuasion for reflection:

Living means more than the happenings of one day after another. We must understand in order to will. "How is it that ye will not understand?" said our Lord to the Jews, who would only see that which was obvious, and would not reflect or try to interpret the signs of the times; and that is the way with most of us, we will not understand. We think that in youth there is no particular matter to exercise our Will about, but that we shall certainly will when we get older and go into the world. But the same thing repeats itself: great occasions do not come to us at any time of our lives; or, if they do, they come in the guise of little matters of every day. Let us be aware of this. The 'great' sphere for our Will is in ourselves. Our concern with life is to be fit, and according to our fitness come the occasions and the uses we shall be put to. To preserve Mansoul from waste, to keep every province in order––that, and not efforts in the outside world, is the business of Will.

v4 p143

May I quote CM once again to remind us of why we would reflect and take the trouble to make sure we are bettering not only our children and families, but ourselves?

We are inclined to wait upon circumstances and upon opportunities, but it is not necessary, nor, indeed, does it answer, for the person who waits for his opportunity is not ready for it when it comes. The great decision open to us all, the great will act of a life, is whether we shall make our particular Mansoul available for service by means of knowledge, love, and endeavour. Then, the opportunities that come are not our affair, any more than it is the affair of the soldier whether he has sentry duty or is called to the attack.

v4 p152

Again, it is easy to get comfortable and even bored with living, instead we might reflect how to be and teach our children to be useful. Then, it's just a matter of willing ourselves to DO something about it... :)

Child or man, we spend half our time in being bored; and we are bored because our thoughts wander from the thing in hand––we are inattentive. When for a moment we do brace ourselves to an act of attention, the invigorating effect of such act is surprising. We are alive; and it is so good to be alive that we seek the fitful stimulus of excitement––to be the more listless after than before, because we have been stimulated and not invigorated. Being bored becomes a habit; we secretly look forward with longing to the end of every occupation or amusement, and are ready to take up with any 'crank' that promises distraction and fuller living, for however short a time. When we have used up that interest, another may occur.

v5 p410

'Hell is paved with good intentions' is a dreadful saying with which we are all familiar. I suppose it means that nothing is so easy to form as a good intention, and nothing so easy to break, and that lost and ruined souls have, no doubt, formed many good intentions. Therefore we must face the fact that the intention to be of use is not enough. We
must get the habit, the trick, of usefulness.

v4 p208

*Obviously, many reflections might not be suitable for publication. That's okay, you don't have to publish ALL of your reflections. You might reflect upon having reflected, for example, and share the things that are suitable. You decide. OR, if you don't have a blog, or you'd rather share your reflections privately, that'd be fine too. Just comment that you'll send me an e-mail. If you do decide to blog your reflections on the past year, enter your post in the linky below. I'll consider each entry, as outlined eligible above, to receive one entry in the drawing for a free 2014 Art Calendar!

I'll close it off 10 days from today on Friday, December 28th at 11:59pm. We'll do the drawing on Saturday, and the calendar will be in the mail on Monday morning... with Prime shipping from amazon.com, someone could be enjoying their calendar early that first week of 2014!

EDITED: Let's make it December 31st at 11:59pm!! 

I'd like to extend the deadline, because quite frankly, I haven't been able to get my own Reflections posted!! It makes more sense anyway. I chose the original date thinking it'd be fun to get the calendar as close to New Years' day as possible, but with Prime shipping, it'll be practically the same this way! :)

::

P.S. Speaking of amazon.com, don't forget that linking through my blog when doing your online Christmas shopping at amazon sends us a little kickback. That's a REALLY cool way, I think, to support missionaries! Just sayin'. :) To all of you who do click through here... a BIG, gigantic, humongous THANK you! We'll be getting a gift card very soon for $21.16 for purchases made last month! That's awesome! I am so thankful!

Here are a few links that might be of particular interest at this time of year (they're of particular interest to me, anyway, and we should always recommend or buy gifts that we wouldn't mind receiving ourselves, right? Oh, and no, none of that was meant as a hint, either, btw.):



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Jungle School! {from the archives}

I thought it'd be fun to have a look back at what we were doing this month five years ago... and it was fun!! I have such cute kids! ;) This is a look at Jungle School before we actually moved here. Now of course, we do Jungle School every single day. heheh.

Originally posted in 2008, from the archives:

Jungle School!

Here's what school looked like for us last week. We spent a total of 40+ hours in the car, 4 HOT nights in hostels and 2 1/2 days in the jungle! woohoo!

The boys had several free-reading books by Roald Dahl that they finished. We kept up on Bible reading and had several nature study opportunities. Fun.



We finished reading Squanto, by Feenie Ziner and Landing of the Pilgrims, by James Daugherty.
These two books coincide perfectly... definitely read these two together for SUPERB living books on pilgrims/mayflower/colonist history!











Jungle school is fun :)



{original post can be found here}

fun foto

fond memories of...

happy days.
wide open spaces.

thinking about our life in the jungle.

:)



PS. I know this photo doesn't really exemplify the wide-open nature of life in the jungle, but I have plenty of pictures posted on here that do. I just particularly like this one... you may recognize the background? :)

The Tuttle Family: A Memoir

This week we're supposed to come up with our own lyrics to the following tune, describing our own family...





Here's my rendition:
(with not a whole lot of thought given, mind you)

We live down in Peru
We'd love to chat with you,
5 kids plus parents two,
The Tuttle Family

Working for the LORD,
We daily use our Swords,
We can't ever get real bored,
The Tuttle Family.

We're always together,
can think of nothing better,
you should send a letter,
to the Tuttle family

Hope you join in!
Amy

Study spot... a memoir

(this is a catch-up post from 10/08)

Our favourite spot to study...

We are always doing different things. We are so portable, so flexible, so adaptable that we're not all that regular! We do certain subjects in the same places (sometimes), but we don't stay in the same place all day, nor do we seem to spend more time in one place than another! whoa, we're weird!

We usually do math at the table all together (but not always... heheh :).

We do read alouds wherever we feel like it: on the couch, in the car, on a bed, at the table, or near the closest outlet if the laptop needs charging :)

The boys do their copywork/math, anything that requires writing at their desks or up in the office where it's quiet. They can't seem to concentrate on these subjects if there's even the tiniest noise.

We actually have an official schoolroom, but basically it only serves the purpose of housing all of our learning materials, because not much school actually takes place in there.

So there's not a favorite study spot really... except I must add that we LOVE that we study at home or at the park or in the car or wherever it may be and that NOT at a school!

Amy

Favorite snacks? a memoir

(this is a catch up post from 10/01)

Okay, snacking is not going to be a regular subject on this blog, and that's because, I don't think it's that interesting of a subject. Besides the fact that we don't really snack around here. Oh, don't get me wrong, we love to eat, but we discourage snacking between meals. When we snack inevitably, it seems we don't eat our meals or we become picky and don't eat all of our meals... I'm sure you know what I mean. And living here in Peru there just aren't as many snack-y things available. Unless I make them from scratch... and I don't have much time for that :)

But when we snack this is what we eat:

Frozen mango
Frozen grapes
Vanilla ice cream w/ milk or Chocolate w/ peanut butter
Trail mix (sent from the States)
Graham crackers (also sent from the States)
Bran muffins
Homemade strawberry shortcakes with homemade whipped cream!!! -our favorite
Cookies
Popcorn
Apples quartered
Bananas
Mandarins
...all kinds of fruits available

I'm getting hungry...

Amy

We'll try to aim for our regularly well-intended "school-ish" themes soon.

Favorite sites... a memoir

(this is a catch-up post from 9/17)

This week we are invited to share a few of our favourite things - er - sites. The list of favourite things could be never-ending... Just copy this list and add your favorites underneath the appropriate category.

• Magazines/Carnivals - In the homeschool category, I enjoy the CM blog carnival, Heart of the Matter, The Old Schoolhouse magazine. If we're talking non-homeschool, I like Better Homes and Gardens and Family Fun magazines the most!
  
• Freebie sites - I LOVE librivox.org, and I also frequent Currclick.com and homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com when the freebie is something I think we might use. I also subscribe to scrapgirls.com weekly newsletters where they give away free digiscrap stuff.
  
• Homeschool news/informative - As for news, I'm totally out of the loop. For information, I read blogs, and subscribe to yahoo groups applicable to my CM style.
  
• Forums/book clubs - same as above
  
• Networking, Blog “About” (sites that offer tech-support or tutorials for computer/internet) & Quick Links - no time for that these days :)
  
• Mom site - a sites just for moms
• Inspirational/encouraging/motivational - holyexperience.com is super inspirational to me, along with my friends' blogs.
  
• Youth/kid - sites geared towards youth/kids or owned by them
• Memes - Homeschool Memoirs, Heart of the Matter, Simple Woman's Daybook, My Husband Rocks and Thursday Thirteen are some of the meme's I have participated in with varying regularity.
  
• Organizing/crafts - sites that you look to for organizing tips or crafts - Familyfun.com, Simplemom.net - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this site!!
  
• Homemaking/Homesteading - blogs, New Harvest Homestead digital magazine
  
• Bible-focused - sites mainly about God’s Word - Biblegateway.com
  
• Homeschool Method - sites that offer a lot of info on a certain method - Amblesideonline.org, Simplycharlottemason.com
  
• Family blog - sites that give you a glimpse into another family’s life, run by a family - I sometimes go to titus2.com
  
• Businesses, particularly homebased - no time... :)

All this must be tempered with the realization that I really have no time to look at all this stuff regularly. If I do, I'm sacrificing time with my kids/husband or my home gets messy. I really can't afford much time online at all. So, there you have it :)

Amy

Summer in pictures... a memoir

(this is a catch-up post from 9/24)

Well, there are a number of reasons why I'm NOT going to write a post for this week's meme. One is, it's not summer here in Peru :) The other is that we school year-round so even if it were summer, we wouldn't be doing summer like most people ;)

But I am going to give you a link to my photo essay on our trip to the jungle that did happen during y'alls' North American summer. It even felt like summer there since it was SO hot.

So here you are: (go to the link below for more pictures)
http://fisheracademy.blogspot.com/2008/09/jungle-school.html

1. Siah eating a itty-bitty banana for snack on the way... 20 hours driving - one way! woohoo!
2. Grill found in open market with fish (Lisa) displayed on a leaf for a plate; grilled banana slices; and I can't remember what all else... probably chicken foot shish-ka-bobs ;)
3. Cull posing in the ice cream store (where we spent a good amount of time).
4. Jungle beauty on the church's campground property.
5. Cool thatch roof. Micah wants to build a house with a roof like this someday... uh, well, okay.
6. My guys dreaming of river ministry... or swimming, or riding on motorboats... or something.
7. Amazing sunset in approaching storm clouds.
8. River Boat. Micah will spend a lot of time on a boat like this if we move to the jungle. He wants to regularly visit the really small villages along the river to encourage & teach the believers.

Amy

Something New ~ a memoir

I used to like to add something new all the time. I think I had an aversion to doing the same thing. I liked to change houses, I enjoyed moving my furniture around, I loved traveling, and I wanted to change homeschool curriculum every year or more :)

However, my life now involves so much change and newness that I really do love having a homeschool curriculum that we have used for 3 years now. Ambleside online is so great. As a part of that there are new books every year, every term in fact we start new books. So, in that way it doesn't get old. But it has enough continuity that we can all get into a comfortable routine of how we do things.

So that said, new stuff for this year:
I am looking into possibly integrating Mystery of History in for history... we'll see. And I'm really impressed with Heart of Wisdom for Bible and adding an element of delight directed study. All will have to complement our AO schedule. So without further ado:

(new AO titles for year 4)
George Washington's World by Genevieve Foster
Poor Richard by James Daugherty
Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution by Natalie S. Bober
The Age of Fable by Thomas Bulfinch preface to 14
The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit
A Book of Golden Deeds by Charlotte Yonge
Bambi by Felix Salten
The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
Little Britches series by Ralph Moody
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight
Gentle Ben by Walt Morey
Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright
Return To Gone Away by Elizabeth Enright
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Peterkin Papers by Lucretia Hale
Calico Captive (girl interest) or The Sign of the Beaver (boy interest) by Elizabeth George Speare
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
Tree of Freedom by Rebecca Caudill
Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates
The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery (British view of revolution)
Justin Morgan had a Horse by Marguerite Henry

Homeschool Routines ~ a memoir

I'm playing catch up. Because of our jungle trip, I got all off my routine! ;)

So, my routine is that I work around whatever craziness my husband sends my way... every day! :) Being in ministry he has a schedule that depends on lots of other people. People come by, they call, he has different meetings everyday and has lots of spur of the moment things too. While every day is not the same craziness, it is crazy every day so that is my routine!
heheheh.

However, we do have a loose routine of:
7am wake/read Bible
8am breakfast
9am start school
1pm lunch
2pm nap/quiet time
3pm read alouds
5-6pm dinner
8pm kids' bedtime


I'm always working on ways to make my day run more smoothly. We have a wonderful schedule using Managers of their Homes, but it is in re-evaluation right now, so we're between schedules.

Homeschool Memoirs ~ Agendas

This week’s theme is about sharing your 2008-09 homeschool agendas and plans. You’ve been preparing your plans for sometime and you’re ready to go. Or you’re still in the planning-stage and need some inspiration or tips on what to use. Because many use different curriculum and methods there is always something new to be gleaned from other homeschoolers. It’s always fun and interesting to see what other’s are using and the WWWWH as Robin Sampson suggests.

So this week I hope you will share what you’re doing this year for your homeschool agenda. Share the different curriculum you’re using. You can also include what age/grade you’re using it for, how long you’ve been using it, and why you like it. Please share a Bible verse that has encouraged you or inspired you during this planning-process, and how.

I just posted on this topic in a post called What to teach?! So go there real quick and then come back here. I'm going to add a little bit as I didn't really explain what I like about each curriculum.

First of all, for the past 3 years we've used the AmblesideOnline curriculum plan. We LOVE AO! I've made very few adaptations to the curriculum as suggested and been very happy with the book selections.

We are just finishing up Year 3 and will start Year 4 in October. My boys are 10.5 & 9.5 and so far it is a perfect fit as far as reading comprehension etc. I think they could have been put a year ahead of where they are, but I didn't want to run into difficulties later on. My littles just kind of listen in on the boys' readings (they play relatively quietly nearby while we read).

I love the rotation of history (although we actually may do some tweaking with this this year as we may try to add Heart of Wisdom in as well... I'm working on this merger :). The kids love the history/literature/nature study... okay they love everything about AO! Me too.

So for Language Arts, Math, Science and Geography we use the following:


Spell to Write and Read - We've been using this for the last 3 years and will always use it! A k-12 curriculum that really has all I want for language instruction! I have a post about this curriculum, CLICK HERE. I have links to several reviews, going to a seminar, and about the sweet author.

Now the thing I like about this curriculum is how it really teaches the basic building blocks of language. Starting with phonics (70 basic phonograms) and summing everything up with the 29 rules. "With these simple tools you can explain 99% of the 1000 most commonly used English words and their derivatives. Contrary to the popular belief that the English language is riddled with exceptions and rule breakers you can now have a way to explain our language to your children so that they can understand and succeed." My boys are at a 3rd grade level because our our crazy last year, but we're going to catch up. I'm just starting with my 5yog to teach her the phonograms and Cursive First for writing.

I was taught using an early version of this curriculum 20+ years ago, and I am confident of its success! My boys are not naturally strong in spelling (yet :) and so this curriculum reinforces in an area where I feel is weak for them. They are learning a LOT and are building a strong foundation for language for their whole lives.


Math u see - I LOVE the man in this DVD! Math-u-see has a video for each lesson. Each lesson has about 5-6 pages of work. We spread it over a week, or if it's something they have a handle on, we've done as many as 3 pages a day! My kids are not those kids who love to do schoolwork. They'd much rather be building with legos or playing Narnia outside with sticks as swords. They do NOT love math, but they tolerate it with Math-u-see. I love that I can put on the video and if they don't understand it they can watch the video again. After the third time, if they still don't understand, :) I work them through it using ideas from the teacher's manual. This saves us a lot of frustration on both sides. I love the way Steve Demme explains things; both my husband and I have wondered that no one ever told us about these cool tricks! ;)

My 10 & 9 year old boys are using Delta this year. My 5 year old girl is using Primer


Apologia "Exploring Creation with..." series
by Jeannie Fulbright


I really enjoy reading these with my kids. I really appreciate the perspective that it adds from a strong Creationist point of view. Jeannie is continually giving glory to God for the wonderful things he has made, and helping us to see how God takes care of us by making things the way He did. I also like the projects, notebooking and narration activities throughout. I feel like it is a great choice for CM families. I would also highly recommend if it is within your budget to buy the Creation Sensation kits to compliment each book also recommended by Jeannie in the book (basically just a kit that provides all the materials required for all the projects explained in the book, all handy there so you don't have to hunt them down).

We have scheduled one book per year. We like this rate.


A Child's Geography by Ann Voskamp


Is a book absolutely beautifully written. If you have any doubt at all, go to Holy Experience and get a taste of Ann Voskamp's style of writing. I really appreciate the projects for application of what we're learning to life that she incorporates into each lesson. She also includes narration and notebooking throughout for a great CM style book! Her perspective is SO awesome, totally God-focused. I'm so glad we found this book!! We're halfway through this book and really looking forward to the Holy Land version as soon as we're finished.



Bible verses?! Wow. There are so many. Seriously. But I have this one hanging up in our schoolroom: maybe you'll notice a common theme :)

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.
~ Isaiah 26:3

*and*

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
~ Matthew 11:28-30

These are particularly meaningful to me at planning time, but really all year long. I need an extra dosis of peace at the beginning when I'm particularly given to stress about how things are going to work out, getting my kids motivated (getting myself motivated for that matter), etc. Christ does not overburden us, we overburden ourselves, he provides rest. As we learn from Him, then we can teach our children.