Christmas and the Gospel

All through the Word of God we see God, Himself, showing fallen man his need of a Rescuer, a Savior. We see God offering a plan for the remission of sin, my sin.

Read Leviticus to see how intricately detailed the instructions were from God for man to be forgiven. Notice in Lev. 6:1-7 that the one who has robbed, cheated, threatened, or lied about any of these wrongs against his neighbor must follow specific directions to make restitution. Then he must offer a specific kind of ram. Then the priest will make atonement. For each kind of offering the priest and his sons must follow God’s detailed directive. This reveals to us the nature of God and the way He views the horror of wrong doing.

“But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Gal. 4:4 Notice that in God’s own timing He fulfilled the plan that He had to offer redemption to His fallen creation.

Celebration is in order. But could we challenge one another to have that celebration because we see and know God’s love for us?

Engagement Learning

All tenth graders need NOT do the same thing. As home-school teachers we are often tormented by our own inadequacies as we look at what other families are doing. Also, we tend to be on the lookout for better curriculum, smoother schedules, and easier methods for teaching.

All of this rush to cover or appease our inadequacies can be helped if we realize that God has created us and chosen us. In doing that He allowed for gifts and weaknesses. He has purpose in all that He has created. We dilute the training that our children would flourish in if we constantly seek to teach what everyone else is teaching.

For now, consider that individual thumb print of your student and seek God’s guidance for preparing him for God’s own specific purpose.

Reduce Stuff

In the past, we’ve talked about reducing our stuff in order to reduce the time needed to maintain that stuff. I trust you are continuing your quest to simplify. I am.

During this holiday season consider offering some of your stuff to someone who really needs it. Remember that you are looking for someone who really needs it. Otherwise you are only perpetuating your own problem!

Reading Tips

Young beginning readers: Remember that during this stage much of the reading that your student does will be oral. When the child has read a word, phrase or sentence, pause to ask him what that means. Encourage him to tell you what he’s reading even if he read only one word. This will help focus for comprehension in later grades.

Middle readers: Once your student has begun to fluently read, diminish the amount of oral reading. Begin by having him read one short paragraph silently. Then choose one sentence for him to read orally. It is still perfectly acceptable to read orally to younger siblings.

Older readers: By fifth or sixth grade encourage students to read to research answers to questions related to all academic subjects. Begin that research with simple questions and progress to your student actually knowing how to write up his findings, giving credit through footnotes and bibliography.

Caution - If you have an older reader who is NOT fluent in reading, that child should be evaluated and assigned exercises and assignments to improve his fluency. Research would probably be one of these assignments, but the method of doing the research would be individualized after evaluation.

Joy

Do a few things well at this holiday season, rather than trying to incorporate everything you hear and read into your family.

Suggestion: Consider one life-changing, life-giving tradition to continue or to begin. As your family grows and scatters the myriad of things you didn’t do will dim in importance to the life-giving tradition you started.

Love,

Becky