Maridel Willer

Do you have a desire to bring more order to your life and accomplish the things that are important to you? 

Is your life complicated by the coming and going of your family’s activities, the demands of your children, frequent interruptions, having a lack of focus or the feeling that you cannot stay on top of everything that you are responsible for? 

Have you tried to get organized, but have not been able to make lasting progress? 

I can tell you that there is hope!  Step by step you can make small changes that will add up to big differences in your daily life.  In the next few issues of my newsletter, I will share the truths that I have learned on the road to becoming an organized woman.  This week we will look at some obstacles that may be standing in your way and learn how you can overcome them.  (more…)

I love these wonderful thoughts quoted in “The Simplicity of Homeschooling” by Vicky Goodchild:

For the sole end of education is simply this: to teach men how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain. - Dorothy Sayers

Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life. - Charlotte Mason

All the branches of knowledge are connected together, because the subject matter of knowledge is intimately united in itself, as being the acts and the work of the creator. - John H. Newman (more…)

Be encouraged by this poem by Wendy C. Brewer

Today, I didn’t say the right things

I didn’t give enough hugs

I didn’t listen to all of their imaginary stories.

Today I hurried them through what could have been

Very special moments, to achieve my binding agenda.

Today my prayers were too short and my lectures too long.

My smiles, I’m sure, didn’t hide my fatigue (more…)

I am inspired by the following quotes about love written through the ages.

We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.       

                                                            Brother Lawrence (1611-1691)

He loves each one of us as if there were only one of us.

                                                            St. Augustine (345 - 430)

Love is an image of God, and not a lifeless image, nor one painted on paper, but the living essence of the Divine Nature which beams full of all goodness.

                                                            Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)

Homeschool Organization Tip#10 - Make your Plans your Slave, not your Master

Here is the final tip for having an organized homeschool.  Relax! 

Yes, you have put alot of effort into setting goals, creating a routine and delegating responsibilities and reaped the fruit of having order in your home.  Don’t let your plans become a taskmaster than steals your joy or causes you to miss out on spontaneous opportunities that come your way.

The most wonderful thing about homeschooling is the freedom to decide how your family will spend its time.  Goals, plans and routines will help you accomplish great things, but they should not be implemented in a legalistic way.  You can adjust your routine when appropriate to take advantage of all the Lord has planned for you.

Homeschool Organization Tip#9 - Simplify your Record Keeping 

I know that the efforts that you have put into organizing your homeschool thus far, are beginning to pay off in increased peace and productivity in your home.  The next tip covers some ideas to help you simplify your school record keeping throughout the year. (more…)

Homeschool Organization Tip #8 - Organize Books and Supplies

If you have been following along with these organization tips, you know that we have cultivated relationships, set goals and priorities, built margin into our schedules, established and followed a routine, and cleared out the clutter.  (If you missed the rest of this series, click on the “Organizing” category and scroll down to the first posts from March to start.)

Now we are ready to organize our books and supplies so everything we need for learning is right at hand when we need it.  There are as many ways to organize as their are homeschooling families, but here are a couple of ideas to get you started. (more…)

Homeschool Organizing Tip #7 - Clear out the Clutter

This is one of my favorite things to do! 

As Americans, we sure do accumulate things at a rapid rate.  I recently read a book called “Material World” that had photos of families from around the world standing in front of their homes with everything that they owned on the ground beside them.  Can you imagine what the typical American family looked like compared to the rest of the world?  (more…)

Homeschool Organization Tip #6

Once you have established a family routine and delegated responsibilities to your family, it is very important to take the time to formally communicate expectations to everyone.  The best way to do this is to put them in writing and then review them verbally with each family member.  Young children can follow a picture chart that lists their daily responsibilities.  Older children can follow a daily schedule with detailed instructions. 

When making big changes in your day to day routine and the expectations you will have of each child, it may be more effective to phase in the new changes one by one or group by group over a period of time than implement everything at once.    (more…)

(From Luke 10:41-42, paraphrased)

You are so upset over all these details, anxious, full of care, worried, troubled, disquieted and distracted by many things.

Little is needed.  There is really only one thing necessary and worth being concerned about.  Discover and choose the good portion, and it will not be taken away from you, for you will not be deprived of it.

What is the good portion that Jesus spoke of here?  (more…)