Picture Study with Photography

 “We cannot measure the influence that one artist or another has on the child’s sense of beauty, upon his power of seeing, as in a picture, the common sight of life..."

---Charlotte Mason

These are picture studies of Mary Cassatt and Norman Rockwell from 2007 and 2010 respectively.   Of all the picture studies we have done, photography has been the most fun.  It seems to cement the image in our minds.  Both Jessica and Abigail came up with their own props and had very little advice from me other than positioning.   We all really had to study the paintings.  And then I had to get out of the way and just start taking pictures. :)

 2007

Mary Cassatt  (1882)  Susan on a Balcony Holding a Dog                  


                                                                                                 

                   Mary Cassatt (1878)  Little Girl in a Blue Armchair

                                Mary Cassatt (1902) Young Mother Sewing

Mary Cassatt (1886) Girl Arranging Her Hair

Mary Cassatt (1902) Margot in Blue






Mary Cassatt (1880) Woman Reading in a Garden

 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord not for men." Colossians 3:23

 2010

 Norman Rockwell (1954)  Girl in the Mirror

Norman Rockwell (1947)  The Babysitter



Norman Rockwell (1953)  Girl with Black Eye

Norman Rockwell Losing The Game

Not all art is conducive to this kind of picture study but look for the opportunity.  My girls will never forget doing these.

"If mothers could learn to do for themselves what they do for their children when these are overdone, we should have happier households. Let the mother go out to play! If she would have the courage to let everything go when life becomes too tense, and just take a day, or half a day, out in the fields, or with a favourite book, or in a picture gallery looking long and well at just two or three pictures, or in bed, without the children, life would go on far more happily for both children and parents. The mother would then be able to hold herself in "wise passiveness’ and would not fret her children by continual interference even of hand or eye - she would let them be."

---Charlotte Mason

Oh!  If she were only talking about me!.....

Summer is for building

Our new window left some unused wood in the yard.

I painted..... and watched through the window when I heard the hammering.

Concentration and pure happiness....

They really did a fine job.  They worked all day.

Summer is for building.....

 .......tree houses and relationships.

Drawing Up Battle Plans

I never have been very good at waiting.  I can be impatient, I talk fast, and I multi- task....or try to.  Hurrying has become a bad habit.  As I am growing older,
I am learning some things about this, though.   It has really been on my heart lately.

Two years ago, I read the devotion of  " An Unhurried Life " by Glynnis Whitwer and printed it out so I would see it every morning during my devotions.

Since then I have tried to make a conscious habit of even chewing slower. 

I have gotten better at not rushing over the last couple of years.  I have had to purpose myself.   I am learning to move slower and stop to appreciate more.

Great things often take time.

 The most important truth I got out of that devotion two years ago is this:
Jesus was busy but He was never said to be in a hurry.  

And it has stuck with me.  He still accomplished much and He refused to be rushed.  He made time for people.
I see some moms rushing from one activity to the next and know I have been there as well.

I am finding truth in the quote, "Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part."

I am also trying to not allow others to stress me or hurry me either.  

The key word is allow.

Just last week I was dealing with our local county government in trying to secure a building permit online for 2 days.  

To say I was frustrated was an understatement.
 

I spoke with 8 different people who all had 8 different answers.   
One of them decided I had a problem and advised that I would need to "hurry down to the office ASAP" because I would need to get there before "the ONLY man who could possibly help me left" or else I wouldn't be able to get a permit that day.   

 (I needed it that day)

It gave me less than 30 minutes.

In the past, I would have rushed, speeded (is that a word?), and probably yelled at my kids in an effort to hurry out the door.  In effect, teaching them to rush.  (I have a lot of un-teaching to do.)  

But this time I chanted my mantra in my head.  

"Jesus was busy but he was never in a hurry."
I decided to trust.  We went down to the office at a casual pace.
After all of that, there wasn't even a problem at all and no need to rush.  

I was so proud of myself!  Mainly because I usually do not see the 'crisis' until I am in the middle of it.

As a homeschooler, there are so many fantastic things to do with my kids, so many socializing opportunities (yes, we have had to cut down our 'socializing'; sorta blows the whole 'homeschooler's don't get enough socialization theory'), so many awesome classes, invitations, performances, learning events; some offered during the day when we are supposed to be doing school.  They are attractive because things aren't as crowded, they are often cheaper, and there isn't usually traffic.  But leaving in the morning makes our school time rushed. 

It is hard to discern sometimes what is best for our kids.  So many good things to pick from.  It is like a banquet sometimes.  What to choose?  It all looks good.

But God knows.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

He also promises ...
"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart" Psalm 37:4.

My dear Aunt Sandy mailed me a small booklet entitled  "Tyranny of the Urgent"  written by Charles Hummel.  (She often acts as God's messenger to me.)  It is excellent and I suggest reading it yourself. 

When he originally wrote this essay in 1967;  email, the internet, chat rooms, blogs, face book, twitter, iphone, ipad and the countless other time suckers weren't even around.  It makes what he said even more applicable to our lives.

There are several points worth mentioning that Mr. Hummel speaks of that I found to be especially good: (all quotes come from his essay unless otherwise noted)

• Even though Jesus had a short life of 33 years, he still finished what God had for Him to do.   John 17:4 (NIV) "I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do."  "... His life was never feverish; He had time for people.  He could spend hours talking to one person, such as the Samaritan women at the well.  His life showed a wonderful balance, a sense of timing." He resisted the urgent and did the important.  
• We need to acknowledge our need of God as our instructor and supplier.  "When we fail to wait prayerfully for God’s guidance and strength we are saying, with our actions, if not our lips, that we do not need Him."
• "The need itself is not the call; the call must come from the God who knows our limitations." and our strengths. (my words)  Psalm 103:13,14  (NIV) "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;  for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust."  
• "...resist the temptation to accept an engagement when the invitation first comes over the telephone."  Ask and give yourself a day or two of prayer for guidance before you commit. 
• When praying, list things you need to complete each day in their priority, keeping in mind previous commitments.  Pray for direction.  Like a general drawing up a battle plan for the battlefield; "he doesn't postpone basic decisions until the firing starts."    
• We are to wait patiently for God's instructions and do this by discerning His will by a consistent life of daily prayer.  Listen.  In order to be an effective server, we must prayerfully wait on God to impress on us His truths concerning ourselves and what He wants us to complete.  Mr. Hummel likens it to a time out in a game; a time to stop, regroup, catch your breath, and make a new strategy.  "He will free us from the tyranny of the urgent, free us to do the important, which is the will of God."
• Don't have such a rigid schedule against the clock that you cannot allow an interruption or an unexpected call that God may have put in your day.
• "It isn't God who loads us until we bend or crack with an ulcer, nervous breakdown, heart attack, or stroke.  These come from our inner compulsions coupled with the pressure of circumstances."  Matthew 11:30 (NIV) "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  

It isn't that I never move fast anymore.  I am defintely expiditious.    
I get a lot accomplished during my days.
We went to Washington, DC recently, and we fit a lot in!    Homeschooling 3 girls, or trying to get us all ready to go somewhere sometimes involves a bit of hustling. :)
It is just that my perspective has changed.  I am not as stressed.  

I have not 'arrived' but am making a concerted effort.
And I know the direction I want to go.   I still give my day to God and then snatch it back sometimes.  But I am more aware.

 Even managers in the business world use these words of wisdom to effectively lead and not manage by crisis.  Aren't we really managers of our homes, children, and schools?

Life is too short not to stop and smell the sunflowers!

Here is to learning to pray about our Battle Plans.

The Most Beautiful Woman I Know.....

 Photo by Susan Enjaian Wood


I first saw Ruth at church,
on Easter.
She was singing "Power of The Cross".
She sang beautifully.
When she was finished, everyone in the church stood up and 
applauded.  And her response was to point her finger up toward 
heaven.

I will never forget that.

I saw some slight disfigurement on her face but barely noticed.   I knew I wanted to meet her.
I really believe God purposed that in my heart.
I introduced myself in the hall on the way to Sunday School 
class.  I was new.  I felt a little awkward.

She was so nice.  She told me about the rare cancer she had and 
that she had to have part of her jaw removed.  There was 
something about her, I couldn't put my finger on it.

Joy?

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all 
circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ 
Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

She gave me a brochure of her testimony, "Finding Hope Through Suffering."  I couldn't wait to read it.

In Sunday school class that Easter morning, the teacher asked for prayer for Ruth (I realized it was the woman I had just met).
The cancer had come back.  Oh no.

I tried to listen to the Sunday School teacher but was drawn to the brochure again and again.  Wow.  She had joy.  I saw it.
How?

Would I?

My circumstances seemed so utterly unimportant.  Sunday School seemed so utterly unimportant.  My perspective changed.

Wow.

I thought about her for days.

Getting to know her, I asked if she would speak to our Hunger & Thirst prayer group and she agreed.

Ruth told us her whole story.  She spoke of the horrifying details.  She told of the pain (physical, mental, and spiritual), the hurts, the fear, the sacrifices.

I still saw beauty.

She played the song, "Bring the Rain" by Mercy Me

We all sat in silence and listened.  In awe.

She ate through a tube in her tummy that night.  It was humbling.

We laughed.  We cried.

Some of the hurts the women brought to the meeting included; a husband with MS, alcoholism, a death in the family, financial troubles, a recent miscarriage, and more.

She told us that all of our hurts were just as valid as before she came.  That they were no less significant despite her sufferings. 
Although impossible to conceive, we believed her.
She was right.

When she left, we were all changed.

She just gets more and more beautiful the more I know her.

Then just last year, she felt a lump in her temple and the cancer was back.  Again.  With a vengeance.  Her surgery was more intrusive.  More painful.  More scarring.

  "The Lord does not look at the things man looks 
at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at 
the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

Funny thing, the first time I saw her just after coming back from her surgery & recovery was in the graveyard at our church.

On Easter.

Her husband wheeled her there as the Easter Sunrise Service had just started.   I thought she was even more beautiful in her bravery.

 "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting:  but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."  Proverbs 31:30

Later, at another prayer meeting, some friends and I asked if she would speak to our homeschool group with her talk that she directed towards students.  She did.

(3 Photos by Neecie Herndon)

 

 

                                              
It was Powerful.

What an awesome thing for children to see someone who constantly points UP.
My kids see love.  And they give it back.  Gabrielle rushes to hug her every time they meet.  Even she sees it.  And she is only 3.  Abigail painted her nails once and loved on her.  But Abigail was the one who was blessed.

It is life changing.

Ruth could be the woman next door.  She is just an average mom.  She has the same hopes, dreams, and fears we do.  Just like you or me ...
....but really....
... she is becoming more like Him.  I can see Him in her.

Fighting (a verb) cancer for 11 years.  A homeschool mama in the midst of the craziness.   Two beautiful boys full of strength and love and fear for their mom.  An Amazing husband, the kind you don't often see.

She is incredible. 

                                                      Photo by Cassy Mirich

                                          Photo by Susan Enjaian Wood

Ruth's sense of humor puts you at ease, throws you off balance, blows your mind, cheers your soul, and refreshes your spirit.
Just knowing her is a blessing.  She is a kindred spirit.

Constantly pointing up.
Giving God glory in her suffering.
That we would all be so wise.

My beautiful friend.

I want to be like her when I grow up...........the most beautiful woman.




Photo by Neecie Herndon

"Let your beauty not be external – the braiding of hair and 
wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes – but the inner person 
of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil 
spirit, which is precious in God’s sight."
1Peter 3:3-4

If you would like to know more about this amazing woman and Bright Hope Ministries or to hear her words pierce your heart...
Contact Ruth Moran at www.caringbridge.org/visit/ruthmoran
She is available for speaking engagements for women's groups, retreats, conferences, schools (assemblies/classrooms), churches, youth groups, luncheons, homeschool groups, etc...  Donations accepted and appreciated.
Also, please pray for Ruth and her family.

Drama Mama

Over the last three years, due to logistics, money, and timing; my search for drama classes for my girls were to no avail.

"God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow in them."  ~Author Unknown

I really prayed about this as it had been on my heart for some time.

I found (or rather God plopped into my lap) an American Girl Theater Production kit at a friend's yard sale entitled, Check Under the Bed.  It included basic instructions, six scripts required for six characters, prop suggestions and was approximately 30 minutes in length.

I didn't think much about it until Abigail (then 9) waltzed through the house reciting her lines for the next couple of weeks.
After reading through it, I was determined I could accomplish this.

"What ever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve."

Napoleon Hill

Besides, Abigail had almost all her lines memorized and I couldn't let her down.  I think she has acting in her blood and she also did a terrific job casting the actors.

Here she is as Carlotta Vandepepper.

 The kids were very involved with the entire production, made many of the decisions, and had great ideas for props and costumes.  They really worked as a team and it was humbling to see them pull together and move toward a common goal.

                                           Scene 3: Ms. Peabody faints

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 My dear friends (and fellow mamas), Kimberly and Beth, helped with directing, sound, props, and play practices.
And with their dedication, the play was a smashing success.  It required a lot of commitment from all of us as play practices do take time and everyone needs to be there.  (If you decide to undertake directing a play, consider the actors, their parents, and everyone's schedules as commitment is everything.)

The cast autographed the play programs for the audience immediately following the play and I have never seen kids so proud of themselves and their achievement.  I was one proud mama too.

Beth threw a fabulous cast party for the actors the following week.  We even had the kids do a two minute commercial "in character" and they walked in on a "red carpet".

Kimberly...Sound effects    





Beth...Script Prompter

Christina.....Margaret Maloney / Director





But the thing is, it wasn't about us or what we did.  God did this for us.
 Something as simple as a play for my children................a desire of my heart.

 "Delight yourself in the LORD;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it." Psalm 37:4,5

I never would have thought three years ago, had you suggested doing my own play, that I could pull this off.  But God knew.

If we can do it, anyone can.  I write this to encourage you, reading this, that you can do this too.
With no experience.  With only prayer.

Play...... total cost $2
Pipe for Dr. Brockett.....$2
Brochures and play programs..... $21
Doing something I didn't think I could do and trusting God for the results.........Priceless!

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."  Proverbs 16:3

From left to right:
Dr. Brokett played by Hamilton
Ms. Peabody played by JoBeth
J.T. Maloney played by Jessica
Carlotta Vandepepper played by Abigail and
Jane Crumb played by Ashley

The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers.  But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.  ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

~The Little Flower~

Our Little Flower Nursing Home Ministry is in our 9th year.  The moms and children love on the residents by doing crafts, hanging out, singing, and/or playing games with them every month.  We get more out of it than they do.  This is a tremendous blessing in our lives.  They love hugs.

(Call your nearest assisted living center or nursing home and ask to speak with the activity director to plan a visit. )

"The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person."
-- Andy Rooney   

Abigail submitted a poem for a contest in April about making a difference in your community.
She wrote about the Little Flower......

The Little Flower

"We visit them in the nursing home
The people there are often alone
Sometimes a game we will play
We usually come on the second Tuesday
Sometimes we bring a craft
Boy, it's great to see them laugh
Some don't get much love or touch
And so we love them very much
It is so good to see them smile
It makes it all worthwhile
The moral of this poem is YOU
There are nursing homes in your town too."
By: Abigail Parker Brown ~ March 2010~ Age 9


“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” Leviticus 19:32

 One craft that made a big impression on me was creating a Hand print Heart for Valentine's Day made out of all the hand prints of the residents, staff,  and kids.  It was very touching as some of the residents hands are disfigured with age and do not lay straight.  It was humbling to trace these different shapes as some didn’t look like the other hand shapes.  The effect of all the little hands and big hands together was quite poignant.

"Father Time is not always a hard parent, and, though he tarries for none of his children, often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well; making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their hearts and spirits young and in full vigour.  With such people the grey head is but the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing, and every wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent life. " ~Charles Dickens

Simple Gifts.....

                           Daylillies shared by a friend.

Cantaloupe plants for our garden....from Kimberly.

                   

Our first squash of the season in little hands from Daddy.
Thank you Father for more on the way.









Rose of Sharon from Elaine.

Hydrangea from my girls......

Matthew 6:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Magnolia Tree from Uncle Freddie.

"God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars."  ~Martin Luther

A tilled garden from Richard.
Shhhh.... Can you hear the potatoes growing?

Thank you friends, family, and Father.

 I Thessalonians 5:18- In everything give thanks...