I wonder how many times in a day we say that four-letter word: hard? It’s hard to get out of bed, hard to get the children to the schoolwork on time, hard to think of what to have for dinner, hard to wait for spring…or anything for which we must wait for that matter. There… Read More Hard is Not Bad
If you are easygoing and never give a thought to tomorrow, have no concerns for the future, never awaken at night in panic at the demands facing you with the coming day, and have never been in near despair about the number of deadlines ahead—this note is not for you. But, for the 95% of… Read More My New Year’s Resolution
Advent is fast approaching and we are getting ready in the Kiser house! While my husband and I both share a love for the Church Calendar, we don’t keep Advent exactly like the church historical, so we set up our tree the day after Thanksgiving and the season is quite festive. We do, however, try… Read More Advent Books
Next week is Thanksgiving. Our immediate family, four generations (30 individuals), will gather and every family will bring more than one dish. It will be a fabulous feast. In the next six weeks this same family will celebrate four birthdays and three more Christian holidays. We feast at all of them. In between those family… Read More ‘Tis the Season
Since confession is good, I will start with mine. Just to be clear, I never want anyone who hears or reads what I say to think I have personally and thoroughly accomplished the things I encourage others to work at. This word of encouragement today, as a matter of fact, is about “accomplishing” things. The… Read More The Delight of ‘Hanging in There’
It is the first day of fall next week. I appreciate each season for its own sake, but am partial to summer and, since I am predisposed to hate the cold from a lifetime in northern Michigan, fall brings a foreboding feeling to me of cold and dark days ahead. But today, it still feels… Read More Seasons Change
Embracing Charlotte Mason’s principles, most of us find affects more than school. Some of her ideas shape other areas of our life. They are life-giving for more than just our children’s education. For example, take short lessons. I have found myself, instead of despairing about the lack of time I have to accomplish some task,… Read More First Things First
What is the first word that comes to mind when someone mentions that infamous year, 2020? Your memory may conjure feelings of fear, revulsion, annoyance, boredom, endurance. Most of us want to put it far behind and never return to it again. Whatever your possible negative associations, I bet you can think of some positive… Read More Hindsight is 20/20
When you stop to consider the phrase, it’s odd. There really is never any such thing as “time out.” We can’t take ourselves out of time, just drop out. Still, the summer is a great break from school, which is what I mean by time out. It is time not to have to hit the… Read More Time Out
What is the first emotion you feel when the last day of the school year ends? Relief? Joy? Guilt? Gratitude? Euphoria? Regret? Some combination of these? There is nothing like a long needed rest. If no one else is around to congratulate, encourage, or commend your accomplishment in teaching this past year, I officially am… Read More This Moment in Time