I’ve been thinking about giving gifts—for obvious holiday reasons! And I have come to the conclusion that God is a cheerful giver of gifts and wants us to be like Him. But just what is it He is cheerful about giving? I did a wee bit of research in the Scriptures. I found an abundance of verses implying what God gives, but these were the ones that actually said, “God giveth …”

What I Have Learned From My Teacher

My daughter has been speaking harshly at her brothers lately. I explained to her that a gentle and quiet spirit is precious in the sight of God, and of great price. I have had to remind her of this often. Today she was starting to yell, and I responded with, “I thought I told you that you need to have a gentle and quiet spirit!” I had to stop myself and eat my words. Why is it that I wonder why they are so harsh with each other? Will my many words do anything for them? I’m afraid not, for more is caught than taught. My actions must speak, in this case, gentler and quieter than my words. Ecclesiastes 9:17 says, “A wise man is heard in quiet more than the cry of him who rules among fools.” This has been a life-changing memory verse for me.

What I Have Learned from My Children

My husband likes to give gifts to a different child at different times. Sometimes it’s a cookie from work, or scrap paper, or even an interesting insect picture he found on the computer. Recently, he gave our 2-year-old son an old candy dispenser that he found and filled with sweet cereal (a rare treat around here). The little guy was so thrilled! He hugged Daddy’s knees tightly before he indulged. He slept with that candy dispenser at night, and it went with him wherever he went. He even was happy to share! “If your earthly father knows how to give good gifts, how much more your Heavenly Father to Him who asks Him.” He gives only good and perfect gifts. I can learn from my son to “hug Him tight,” hold onto His gifts wherever I go, and find joy in sharing.

My Prayer

“Lord, give me a gentle and quiet spirit that my children may also learn how to be gentle and quiet. Help me not to have the cry of him who rules among fools. Thank You for all the good gifts You give, especially the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ.”

Homeschooling Thoughts

I have been known to pull a book from our small home library and leave the interesting science, history, or Bible book out on the coffee table for a few days or a week. One of the children will inevitably pick it up and check it out. They even come and ask me questions, which sometimes prompt greater research on the subject. I feel kind of sneaky but have to smile at how painless the learning process is at these times.

Marla Nowak, Contributing Writer

Christmas is nearly here. Tis the season. Tis the season to be grumpy. Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la. My self-inflicted guidelines are gone. We already ate half the “Christmas cookies.” We ate them frozen. I’m frustrated that I can’t find the gifts I want to purchase. I’m irritated that the online discount code did not work. Too many decisions. Spending time trying to achieve what I want for Christmas is fruitless. Joyless. I’ve traded my quiet time for online shopping. Fussy me supervised the gingerbread houses too. It sounded like this: “That’s too much icing. Don’t eat all the gumdrops. No, no, let me do that part. It’s tilting. Leave the peppermints alone. I said quit eating all the chocolate. Be more careful. You’ve got white icing up to your elbows. You look like you delivered a snowman. Leave those gumdrops alone. One more piece of candy and you are finished. Stop shaking the table.” Did I mention I got too busy for my quiet time and I’m having fruitless, unproductive days? John 15:4-5 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” Nothing. It feels like I can do nothing right. The children are not nestled snug in their beds with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads. They are having horrid nightmares of haunted gingerbread houses. It’s time to shift my focus.

Financial

It is tempting to fall into the trap of overspending. After all, our child will see the boy down the street riding his motorized car on Christmas day, wearing his new NASA astronaut suit, carrying all the latest electronic toys in the trunk of that motorized car, as he adjusts his new headset. We want our children to feel loved. We want their day to be great. We start slipping into the mindset that Christmas is making the children’s eyes light with the joy of stuff. Even if we can afford to really indulge them, it is unwise. Let’s be honest. They will smile with glee, but we know those new things will likely be in the bottom of the toy box in a few weeks. The overindulged child’s things will probably have to be replaced soon enough with new thrills. It is hard to reach children with the “reason for the season” when the season seems to revolve around things for them.

A good place to start is a budget, a monetary one and a time one. The monetary budget must be exhaustive, because Christmas is like a trip to the grocery store ... it adds up. In your budget include everything from gifts to cards (yes, postage too!) to extra baking supplies and more. Decide NOT to use a credit card if it will cause debt that you cannot pay back immediately. For your time budget, plan some days for things like baking cookies, those dreadful wonderful gingerbread houses, delivering gifts, visiting, extra shopping, and writing cards. While it’s great to be flexible, realize this season has demands and plan for them.

Pyramids

Give generously, but also talk to your children about materialism. Even young children can understand surplus and need. Will they completely get it all? No, they will still want. We still want. Contentment is an ongoing area of growth. However, plant those seeds that will cultivate awareness. My younger crew recently learned about pyramids. Yes, I’m afraid they got yet another materialism talk that went something like this: “Can you believe those ancient Egyptians? They were mistaken to think they could take stuff with them. Look at all the things they buried—golden goblets, furniture, jewels. Those things would not bring happiness anyway. Do you think lemonade tastes different in a gold goblet? How sad for them to believe things would bring happiness. Children, did you know people still collect things that they cannot take with them? They collect homes full of things. Some people get into much trouble trying to buy more and bigger things all the time. Then they must work harder and harder to pay for things they cannot enjoy. Sometimes, we fill our little blue pyramid here on our own little street in our own town. We must be careful to remember we can enjoy earthly things but they are not to be our treasure. We must hold all things with an open hand to God. He gives us all things, but we must remember they are His.” Luke 12:34 says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Gift-Giving

Unsolicited toy catalogs arrive at our house about the time the changing leaves reach fullest color—peak weekend. When the catalogs come, we might call it “peek” weekend. What child can resist looking at all the exciting toys that toy manufactures spend millions advertising? Sometimes I toss out these glossy pages designed to instill greed in the heart of my child. We give gifts to our children, but we try to give within reason. For a while, we gave our children three gifts, because after all, the wise men gave three gifts to Jesus. The gifts were to be one practical, one educational, and one fun. Then I started justifying … cheating. (Really, skates are practical when they provide an outlet to excessive energy; and most games are educational.) It was hard to stay in the boundaries. It takes discipline and intentionality.

Now we try to get two gifts and stocking stuffers. Most stockings can fit some pretty substantial stuff (along with the socks, toothbrushes, and new underwear!). Naive I’m not. When asked what they want for Christmas, my children will not say, “Peace and joy for all people.” They tend to say a train, a Lassie dog, or a pair of cowboy boots. Parents like to give gifts to their children, and we can enjoy this tradition. What I can’t do is decide what others should give to their children—what is too much and what is too little. Once again, each must be convinced in his own mind.

Set boundaries for yourself and, yes, for grandma. Maybe grandma and grandpa can opt for savings bonds or practical, fun homeschooling extras. Tell your children in advance that if the grandparents go overboard, they can pick some things, but the rest will go to boys and girls who don’t have things. Moderation is necessary because gift-giving can become gluttonous.

Bless Others

Be careful spenders, but do not “discount” opportunity. Reach out and appreciate those in your path. We try to remember people such as the librarians, mail lady, and garbage collectors. The “world” remembers the firemen and newspaper boys, too. Pray. Think. Who has been kind this year that you can honor? Who has been difficult that you can bless this year? Who needs to be blessed? We bake hundreds of cookies starting early in December, and by Christmas we have a nice assortment and have had plenty to share. Find a few recipes you love that are easy and child-friendly, and go for it. Buy some soft peppermint sticks and dip them in chocolate. Make some jars of brownie mix or hot chocolate. Find a fun pair of socks for someone. Write a card to someone who really blesses you. Have a kind word for those who are weary. Stop, pray, and ask, “Who can I bless this season? To whom does the Lord want me to minister His love?”

Think of things your family is thankful for and give financial gifts to aid in those areas. If you are thankful for the freedom to worship, give to help the persecuted church, Bible distribution, or training of pastors. If you are thankful for food, feed the poor. If you are thankful for family, send some money to help a child in an orphanage or befriend a lonely person. Are you thankful for your job? Give to an unemployed family this season. Ask your children what they are thankful for. If they are thankful for warm coats and mittens, give warm coats and mittens. Toys? Give a toy through Prison Fellowships Angel Tree. Use the gifts God gave you to bless others. If your child sings at a home for seniors, find the name of a lonely person. Visit her. It is easy to appease the conscience for a day but much harder to give enduring love. Yet, do not feel guilty if you go for a day and give some joy. Let each do as he is able. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Don’t miss the point. It’s a time of celebration! Bask in the beauty. Still, budget. Make Christmas a blessing by blessing others. Don’t forget that your children have a human nature that falls prey to wanting. We all do. Help them to look outward. Help them to see the importance of a budget. Let them bless others.

The Least of These

Many years ago I read an article by Larry Burkett. As a Christian financial expert, part of his ministry was to encourage believers in wise stewardship. A particular Christmas article stood out. Larry challenged folks to match what they spend at Christmas with an equal-size gift to care for the needy. I knew if we could come close to that, our Christmas giving would be an act of adoration and celebration of the Savior’s birth. If we remembered those dear to Him, we would remember Him. “Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:25).

Include the children. There are so many opportunities for them to see and share God’s love. Get them involved. We like Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child. (Samaritan’s Purse earns the right to share the gospel by providing the poor with some basic items that fit in a shoebox.) We wanted the children to participate actively, so one year we decided to let them count the change in the year’s change jar and we would use that for shoeboxes. The two little ones sorted the coins into piles. The middle one stacked, and the older one counted and wrapped. The children helped decide what to purchase, and we went shopping. This is one of many projects where children can participate in the process.

As children get older and have access to money, they may choose to use their own money for outreach. Samaritan’s Purse also provides the “ultimate Christmas catalog,” as we call it. In this catalog are items that offer immediate help (blankets, formula, baby warmers, Bibles) and items that help the recipients in the long term (farming equipment, clean water, bicycles for evangelists). You can sit with your children and browse through items to give others. My youngest daughter always wants to give a goat or lamb. One child wanted to give soccer balls. One wanted to give educational resources. Even my little ones experience the good feeling of knowing they chose a gift for someone in need.

Traditions

Our children will remember holidays. Ask an elderly person to speak of their youth, and memories of Christmas often pour forth. It is amazing how much detail we can recall. Traditions help establish a family identity and create a legacy to continue. Consider how you want your children to view Christmas. Will it be a legacy of warm “Hallmark” moments decking the halls, or the dismal trekking the malls?

Think of a few traditions and make them work for you. For example, our gingerbread houses are (usually!) fun to make, but after a month on the mantle, the picked-over house looks ready for the demolition crew. So we invite the demo crew for a snack. One day in January, one of our traditions is to place the houses outside for the critters. Even if hubby does call squirrels “rats with tails,” they do a fine job taking care of the gingerbread house. The children go to bed wondering what will be left in the morning of the gingerbread house under the tree. They are not usually disappointed.

Many families love to design their own cards and write a family Christmas letter update. We let the children write it. People will enjoy reading about your family life more from your child’s perspective. This is a great opportunity to share a little of your faith. We sometimes let the children write what they want to go in the card—maybe your young child’s thoughts or interpretation of a Scripture. These turn out adorable and inspiring. Also, if you are like us, it is hard to throw out the Christmas cards. Our Christmas season is extended in that we keep the cards in a basket, close our eyes and pick one, and then pray for that person or family during devotional time. And of course we keep our favorite cards for art projects.

Establish traditions. Sit down with the popcorn, the family, and It’s a Wonderful Life. Whether you read Luke 2 before opening one gift, take a neighbor to your Christmas service, light candles for things you are thankful for, or make Jesus a birthday cake, remember that cutting the tree and your annual Christmas cranberry apple crunch breakfast are not the only things your children will remember. They will remember if mom was grumpy and overtired, crankily wrapping gifts, and wondering why dad did not understand what the “big deal” is about Christmas. Finding the perfect gift, decorating, baking all of our own cookies—these things may become marks of our womanhood … or our pride.

One January of long ago, feeling frustrated and determined to correct the next Christmas path, I wrote a letter to myself to be opened November 1 of the following year. I knew I would need fresh reminders of the seasonal traps that the world laid for me. The busy Christmas season will not change for me. I’ve learned that things NEVER slow down. People must slow down. This ”dear self” letter would hopefully remind me to not allow the commercialization of the season to steal my time, my focus, and my joy. Here I am. Like many other moms, I fight this battle of overextension each year. Moms often do the planning (the baking, shopping, wrapping, cards, etc.) and we need to be wise in setting the pace. Take the bull by the horns or the reindeer by his red nose and let him know who is boss.

From spiritual to commercial, and now even controversial, the Christmas season gives us opportunity to let our light shine. We can protest that the town hall no longer allows a nativity display, but we can also choose to “display” Christmas. Display what Christ brought to the world—compassion, mercy, love, grace, patience, and truth. Love others, thereby loving Him. Special occasions help us establish a heritage of traditions with our families and encourage us to do good.

If you are, and feel, disillusioned that the Grinch has stolen your Christmas, your real Christmas, take heart. You can still redeem the day. It is never too late to do good, to honor God, to repent, to return to the Savior, and to point others to Him. It’s the perfect time to write your letter for next November 1. It’s the best time to remember, when decorating those Christmas branches, that we are the branches and He is the vine. Dwell with Him, especially during this busy season, and He will dwell with you.

K12 Curriculum
www.k12.com

K12, the new online homeschool curriculum created by William J. Bennett, former Secretary of Education and author of The Book of Virtues, is generating a lot of discussion among homeschoolers these days. Many people seem confused as to what exactly K12 is and how it works. Some people mistakenly believe K12 is a charter school. I was confused myself until I reviewed their kindergarten program. Basically, K12 is an online, for-profit curriculum supply company for homeschoolers that sells complete grade-level packages for kindergarten through second grade, with grades three through five coming out in the fall, and the remainder of the grades to follow.

I opened the huge box of supplies and found videos, CDs, beautiful books, math and science manipulatives, art prints, a tambourine, a slide-whistle, phonics tiles, workbooks, and more. I was quite impressed with the quality of the books and materials. No twaddle here! About the only thing missing, other than things commonly found about the house, was the teacher’s manual. And that is precisely where the Internet becomes key to the program.

The entire lesson plan for using all those beautiful books and supplies is found online at www.k12.com. When you log on, you are taken directly to your Planning and Progress page. This is basically your lesson plan, and it can be adapted to your specifications, such as when you want to take holidays and how many days per week you want to teach a subject. I played around with it and found the Progress and Planning to be a great tool. If you want to complete the program in one school year, you will have to complete five math, phonics, and language arts lessons each week and two lessons each of history, science, art, and music. Keep in mind that when you enroll you have 18 months to complete a program. You are free to skip lessons completely if you choose. At the end of each lesson, just mark the lesson as complete, and your Planning and Progress page will automatically advance you to the next lesson on the following day. Or, if you don’t complete a lesson one day, it will automatically move it to the following day until you complete it or choose the Skip This Lesson option.

The computer is an essential element in the K12 curriculum. K12 says that children will use the computer for about 25 percent of their school day. In kindergarten, most of what is online is the teacher’s guide. It appeared to be most frequently used for instruction in history and art, with lots of stories and pictures. You must have a reliable Internet connection and a very central, convenient place near to the computer to work. K12 is working on providing the tools to make the program more portable, in response to parents’ requests. They seem very eager to adapt to homeschoolers’ needs based on parent feedback. They are also planning to supply the worksheets rather than requiring parents to print them out themselves. This would be a great improvement, as there are many necessary worksheets online, and I found it time consuming to download them and print them each day. However, as necessary as the computer is, it is really only a part of K12’s truly multimedia approach. There are plenty of reading and writing assignments, hands-on activities, art projects, listening exercises, and some video lessons.

The content of the program is excellent, reminding me of The Core Knowledge Series by E.D. Hirsch. The math looked good; it appeared quite similar to Horizons, with colorful pages and solid math concepts. The language arts program looks excellent, relying heavily on great classic literature for children. Phonics instruction is very good, using letter tiles extensively along with worksheets and fun little readers. History is broad and interesting, with a global focus and a classical approach. Science focuses on the scientific process, with lots of hands-on activities as children explore earth, life, and physical science. K12’s art instruction is much more thorough than many elementary programs I’ve seen, although art supplies are not included in the kit. This is real art appreciation and application in creative ways, not just arts and crafts. Likewise, the music instruction is thorough, including lots of listening to good music and learning about composers in addition to fundamentals of music theory.

One of the things I appreciate about K12 is that subjects can be purchased separately. This should appeal to many parents who feel weak in certain areas or just lack the time or energy to pull it all together themselves. Families with more than one child to teach might consider using only one course for a single subject, such as history or music. K12 is a multi-faceted, interesting curriculum, and we recommend taking a walk through their website at www.k12.com to really see what they have to offer.

—Product review by Heather Jackowitz, TOS staff writer & reviewer

As featured on www.Crosswalk.com, 2002 by Deborah Wuehler, Staff Writer, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

… Then I wondered what His baby shower was like. Did He only invite royalty?

I came home from a baby shower a few days ago very discontent. I moped the whole day and the next. What was it that caused my disgruntlement? I felt it the moment I drove up to the mansion, and even more so when the door was answered by a bubbly blonde only too anxious to let me in to see her castle. She showed me where to put my things—I looked at the pile of black leather jackets with matching black purses. I dropped my bright burgundy diaper bag among them and somehow felt as out of place as that old bag. The only thing that kept me from running home was my neighbor friend whom we were honoring. The ladies all joked and giggled and oooohed and aahhed at just the right times as they talked about baby names and appetizer recipes. It was the “perfect” baby shower. The feeling of discontent really settled in as I arrived home, where my 6-year-old greeted me outside in a dirty T-shirt, shorts, and bare feet on the coldest day of the year, and the garage door wide open for the world to see that we obviously could not fit a car in among all that junk. I looked behind me to see an entourage of cars coming from the shower to my neighbor’s house; I quickly proceeded into my home to hide.

Inside, I couldn’t see the counters for the ants, or the couch for the laundry, or anything else for the tears. Why can’t my house be like theirs? Why can’t I be like them? The fact that none of them were homeschoolers or had more than three children was small consolation. I didn’t like not fitting in—again. I went and sat on my bed with husband and children in tow. My husband reminded me of all I had to be thankful for and reminded me of our persecuted brothers and sisters in other countries, some of whom have no more than a shack. Even so, my mind still went over all the old things I’d like to replace. Would I be content then? Probably not. Whenever our contentment comes from things, we will never have enough things or contentment. Only in Jesus and from Jesus comes true contentment. Hebrews 13:1 says, “Be content with such things as you have, for I have said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The persecuted and the martyrs were not forsaken—they had nothing of this earth, but everything of heaven. I may not have much of this earth, but I have more than most, and I have Jesus—He is The Everything of heaven.

Then I wondered what His baby shower was like. Did He only invite royalty? No, he invited shepherds—one of the lowest occupations of the times. Not only were they invited, but their invitation was given by an angel from heaven. Myriads of angels performed a worship musical they never forgot. Even in that, they were only shown a little bit of heaven, which led them to The Everything of heaven—baby Jesus. He was wrapped in cloths, not Nordstrom. He was lying in a feeding trough, not a Jenny Lind. He wasn’t a little rich boy—he was a poor man’s son. No leather jackets or purses there. He had nothing of this earth, but everything of heaven. And He made the shepherds feel right at home.

Deborah Wuehler, TOS Devotional & e-Newsletter Editor

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