Homeschooling with a MISSION

In the short, since our last blog, life has consisted of a rusty needle, lots of smiles, pigs that weren’t, books, clubs, and grasshoppers. Sounds like a true homeschooler, right? Got a little chuckle when we recently saw this cartoon:

We love homeschooling! We love learning! It is challenging. It takes daily renewed commitment and faithfulness. Yet, the constant benefits and rewards are refreshing fountains!

During our trip with Grandma and Grandpa a few weeks ago, we purchased a short storybook near some Amish farmlands.

The Rusty Needle has become a special favorite that we have already read many times. The account is told of a little girl who hasn’t enough money to buy her grandmother a new sewing needle, so the store clerk gives her an old rusty needle. Grandmother gladly accepts, polishes, and uses the needle for years to come. When the child becomes a Mother, herself, the grandmother, aged and unable to continue her sewing ministry to the community families, passes the heritage of not only sewing but ministry to the granddaughter. With this ministry comes the lesson of the rusty needle. What was once cast aside as dirty and unusable was cleaned and given the purpose of serving God and others through sewing projects and prayer for the recipients of those handmade treasures. What a precious message to know that God can clean, restore, and make us fit for His purpose. This is the heritage that we have received from our parents and many of those who have gone before, and now, each day, we strive to pass it on to AbiNoelle.

We were privileged to spend an afternoon of Christian service with our local homeschool group, who gave their time to help us assemble nearly 1,000 gospel Smiley Book Tracts. Making a difference for eternity is time well-spent! Even one young man, who had been concerned about not being able to “lay up treasures in heaven” at his little age, was thrilled by the fact that he was working on getting one of those “trophy” treasures in Heaven.

AbiNoelle thought she had learned all about Old MacDonald had a Farm until our recent church activity! A “pig” was presented and the “poke time” began, only the “pig” was an apple and the “poke” was a stick to use during the relay race. What fun!

Mrs. Pintar was not to be left out of this unusual week, either. She gave the children their 1st Reading Book! Then came Reading Club with the Grasshoppers! AbiNoelle loved getting a special reading club chair and Grasshopper badge to use during Reading Club time. This is SOOOO EXCITING – Reading books!