Organizing Your Homeschool- The Box System

If you're searching for ways to organize your homeschool lessons this year I want to share the system I've opted for with you! Organizing our homeschool lessons and worksheets this year was something that consumed most of my planning this summer. I am homeschooling three children this year, have a toddler underfoot, and a baby on the way. So keeping things organized (and me sane) was a must! I knew that we would be starting school early and breaking for at least two weeks once baby came so my goal was to plan out ten weeks of lessons and to find a system that would work for us weekly so I only have to get things prepped once a week. I was still suffering from some trauma over last school year when I was prepping things the night before or more often than not the morning of! Much of what I had wanted to get done didn't, mostly due to a lack of planning effectively. My type A self couldn't handle another year of that! And as the saying goes....

I certainly didn't want to go into this new school year as a failure before I had begun and I didn't want to feel the stress I had the last year. So plan I did and I'm happy to say that it has been working wonderfully :) Now, obviously, that doesn't mean we are without our problem areas (remember that toddler that is "underfoot") but it does mean that we have found a weekly set up that is working nicely for us and that makes me a happy homeschooling mama!

Anyway, you're probably ready for me to let you in on what we do! Right? Okay here goes! 

1. Lesson Planner I found a weekly lesson planner that I absolutely love! You can find it HERE at Money Saving Mom. There are three different planners. Attendance keeping, a six week planner for one subject, and a weekly planner for all subjects. We use the weekly planner for all subjects so we can see our whole week at a glance. These planners are editable PDF's so once they are downloaded you can print them blank or you can type in your lesson plans and print them or save them. 

2. Folders Next I found a wonderful multi-pocket folder at Walmart that will hold all worksheets or activities for the entire week. My kids can grab this folder to do any worksheets/activities that are scheduled for that day. I couldn't find a link to them but I found them in the back to school section of our local store for $2.88. You can find more like them on Amazon too! So far they are very durable! 

3. Storage Box The final part of our system uses small storage boxes. They should be long and wide enough to hold a workbook.  

                        

So we have materials for the week set up in their pocket folders. Each child gets their own folder and workbox. The front of these particular folders have a slot for putting a cover paper in so we put our planner there so it's clear to see what is planned for that day. Then each tab in the folder is labeled with the day of the week. Any workbooks they use that week are placed in the box so they can grab their box when it's time to begin school. In some cases I just took pages from their workbooks and placed them in the folder instead of putting in the workbook. That all depends on how you want to save their work for their portfolio.  

If you've taken any time to google homeschool organizing or planning you've probably noticed that we use a combination of other systems. Ours is similar to workboxes but a more condensed version of that. Really, figuring out what works for your homeschool can be a trial and error thing. We are on our third year homeschooling and have found one that is working for us now, but that could change in the future as our needs change. We are on our fourth week of school and I found this system to be a great way to grow independence in my children. Even my less-than-excited child is enjoying grabbing his box and beginning on his work because he knows what is expected already. It has made it an easier transition from summer! 

I hope you were able to get some ideas for your homeschool! Enjoy your year :) 

I am Weak. God is Strong.

"Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God." 2 Corinthians 3:5

   I have a bad habit. I have a tendency to think that I am "superwoman" . . . you know, able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. Homeschool, teach Sunday school, oversee my church's children ministries, organize a Good News Club, run a household, be the best wife, mom, friend . . . the list goes on. What I sometimes fall into is an, "I've got this" mentality. I mean, I know better, really. I know the correct answer is that God has it and He is the one really running the show. Still, it seems that big "I" gets in the way. Then, I find myself like I've been the last few weeks: Weak, emotional, and tired. It seems that "I" am not superwoman after all.
   Why would I continue to muster strength from myself when God IS my strength? Well, I would say it's human tendency. However, we can't let that be our fall back. Our purpose for living on this earth is to bring Him glory and to share his message of hope. If we want to bring Him glory then we should, as Paul declares, boast in our weakness.

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

So, yes, I am weak. I have days when my to-do list doesn't get done. It may not even be started. Dishes will be left unwashed and laundry unfolded. I may not have the energy to give each Sunday school lesson my best. The beauty of knowing that Christ dwells in me is that it's okay to fail. It's okay if things are put off until tomorrow because God will accomplish in you what He has for you today. We just have to be willing vessels. So take heart and be comforted knowing that the Creator of the universe has you. He holds you in the palm of His mighty hands and His strength knows no limits.

*Originally appeared on A Look at the Book 

A Shadow of the Good Things to Come

"For the law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:1-4

The law. Many try to desperately cling to the law for their salvation. However, as we see here in Hebrews the law is only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things. A shadow. The law was not meant to be the means for taking away our sins. That purpose was set for Jesus Christ, and Him alone. The law is a means to recognize our sin, but what the verse here in Hebrews is saying is that keeping the law, or continually making sacrifices to God, will not cleanse us from our sins. We cannot be made perfect by keeping the law. We are only made perfect through Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament days there is a covering of sins because those who were making the sacrifices in good faith were accepted by a merciful God, but they were not a permanent cleansing of sins which we only have through Jesus Christ.

Trying to keep the law will look different for everyone. We don't perform animal sacrifices anymore, but we may find ourselves trying to keep the law by performing good works such as attending church, serving the church and others, giving financially, making meals, etc. These things are not wrong, but they should only be done out of our love for Jesus. Done by and for Him. "It is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" Philippians 2:13.  

So, what's the difference between me working for forgiveness of my sins and Jesus Christ being the sacrifice for my sins? Sin is the difference. I am a sinner and will continue to sin. I cannot cleanse myself because I am not sinless. That is why in the Old Testament they had to offer sacrifices year after year. They were never completely cleansed. Jesus Christ was sinless ( Heb. 4:15, 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 Pet. 2:22) and therefore He was able to give us permanent forgiveness and cleansing of sin.

These verses are speaking of the Day of Atonement which was a day set aside for mourning, fasting, and sacrifices for sins. However, these sacrifices were performed year after year. It was a continual plea for forgiveness from God and cleansing from sin. It was not permanent. The sins that were committed were remembered and yet Christ says, "I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." (Hebrews 8:12) Furthermore, the priest would have to make sacrifices for his own sins and then make sacrifices for the sins of the people. See a difference? He had to offer a sacrifice for his own sins before he could do so for the sins of the people. Jesus had to make one sacrifice, Himself, because He was sinless.

The last verse says, "it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins". God didn't want to leave us in limbo. His plan all along was for a redeemer to take away sins once and for all (see Genesis 3:15). So, what is impossible with man is not impossible with God!

I marvel at this truth because it causes me to worship God more fully. When we understand the fullness of what Christ has done for us, something we could never do, we can worship Him and seek to bring Him glory. What a wonderful God we serve!

What have you done either in the past or present to try and "work" for forgiveness? As you read about the fullness of Christ's sacrifice what makes you fall down and worship?

*Originally posted on A Look at the Book