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a humble place

a humble place

Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing. Camille Pissarro

Home > Feeding the Spirit.

Feeding the Spirit.

8 August 2012

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary lifeβ€”your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around lifeβ€”and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.Β (Romans 12:1-2, The Message)

I can’t tell you for how long I’ve struggled with wanting to change myself…trying to be someone I actually liked. I’ve gone through periods of such self-loathing that I’m amazed I came out the other end. It’s gotten better since B came along as I just don’t have time to sit there and hate myself anymore, but at the same time it’s gotten worse as I see so many traits in myself that I really, really, really don’t want to pass on to him. I’ve read these verses before but for some reason, a few weeks ago they just hit me head-on, full force and I’ve been thinking about the idea of not having to change myself but allowing (allowing!) God to do it for me. It’s freeing.

I’ve fallen off the bandwagon when it comes to spending time praying or reading the Bible daily. I used to do it quite often, but it would go in phases as is the case with so many things in my life. Since B came along, the majority of my day is dictated by the needs of a toddler as well as a house needing to be maintained, so I cherish the quiet times I have to myself as MINE. Where does God fit into MY time? Apparently no where.

I had a little bit of an epiphany in one of my therapy sessions where the concept that I’m not as in control as I like to give myself credit for really burrowed itself into my brain. With so many of these ideas, it’s easy for me to know or comprehend what they mean, but really embracing that meaning and believing it way deep down in the core of my being is an entirely different story. I’ve been hit over the head with some of these messages many, many times over the years (especially as I spent junior high and high school in Baptist schools), but it seems I needed to be here, where I am right now in this moment, to really understand what they mean. At any rate, I’ve been carrying that epiphany around with me for the last few weeks, gnawing on it, savoring it, and seeing what flavors come out of it.

One of the flavors was that I need to start understanding that my time really isn’t my own, and not in the feel-sorry-for-myself kind of way, but rather in the way that God has given me this time and I get to choose how to use it. Taking twenty minutes or a half hour out of my day to spend time reading the Bible and talking to God isn’t going to make me feel as if I have absolutely no time for myself (and, in fact, I’ve noticed the opposite at times). And I have to figure out what I want to be priorities in my life. Is sitting on Facebook reading the newest memes a priority for me, or is praying for my husband, son, friends, and family a priority? I know which one sounds like it should be the priority.

So I pulled out Whispers of Hope, which I’ve been dabbling in off and on for the last several years (and really, really like), along with Praying God’s Word, and started where I left off in January. It has actually inspired me to keep a prayer journal even when this one is done as it’s interesting to go back and read what I was thinking about on a given date. One of the first days I read from the book (day sixty-two, to be exact) had this line: “The more we partake of the things of the Spirit, the more we begin to think like the Spirit…,”Β and it suddenly dawned on me why I never seemed to change even after, at times, begging God to make me someone else. I’m not partaking of the things of the Spirit.

I’m so obsessed with food and feeding my little family nourishing, whole foods that will keep them healthy and thriving. I even take extra time and care to prepare some of these foods as they require the extra effort. And while I’ve seen the changes in my body, I had never thought that maybe the reason I wasn’t changing on the inside was because I wasn’t feeding the spirit within me. Maybe I was allowing it to subsist on Twinkies and Mountain Dew (singing along with an occasional praise song on the radio, reading a single Bible verse offered up somewhere, or shooting out a little prayer thanking God for finding me a parking spot at the grocery store) and expecting it to completely transform me. Maybe I needed to start giving my spirit a traditional foods diet.

It’s probably a really silly comparison, but the point of view that I’m so obsessed with feeding my body healthy foods, yet I’m letting my spirit starve really resonated with me. I know that God can do anything He wants, regardless of where I am spiritually and I don’t want to fall into the trap of only praying or reading my Bible because I want to get something from Him. But it does seem a little hypocritical of me to expect so much but offer so little.

And so, I’ve started up my “quiet time” (as we called it in high school) again during B’s naps. I haven’t been faithful every day, and I know that’s going to happen. But it’s felt really good to sit down, even when I don’t really feel like it, and spend that time with God, praying for those around me, but especially B and E. And seeing how God is going to work through just this simple little offering has been kind of fun. πŸ™‚

Related Posts

  • Whispers from God.
  • Whispers from God.
  • A Day in the Life of Reb.

God, Life, Reb, Uncategorized
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  1. Amanda Z says

    13 August 2012 at 9:46 am

    So many challenging issues here – but it sounds like you’re starting in the right place. I read in a book about Godly home management that the author found that when she took time each morning to spend time with God, and ask him to bless the chores she had to accomplish, it seemed like she was always able to fit in everything she needed to do and still had time left over. She compared it to the people who tithe faithfully and always seem to have their financial needs supplied.

    Would love to know more about the books you mentioned – the look good!

    Reply
    • reb says

      13 August 2012 at 2:00 pm

      I did used to experience that on some of the days I’d get up early and pray, though definitely not all. But comparing it to the tithing thing makes SO MUCH sense. I never thought of it that way!

      “Whispers of Hope” is fantastic. A short Bible reading each day along with a “devotional” and then two pages to use as a prayer journal, but she breaks them up into sections with the acronym P-R-A-I-S-E (praise, repentance, acknowledgment, intercession, self-supplication, and equipping) to give a little guidance to your prayer. I’ve used it hand-in-hand with “Praying God’s Word” which is another one of her books and focuses on specific strongholds (pride, unbelief, feelings of being unloved, etc. etc.) mentioned in the Bible and how to use the words of the Bible to ask for freedom from those strongholds. I use it more for the praise and acknowledgment parts of the prayer as it gives me words for that when I can’t come up with any on my own. πŸ™‚ I need to sit down and read the second one one of these days. What I’ve read so far was very insightful.

      Reply
  2. tiffanie says

    28 August 2012 at 4:52 pm

    this is great, reb. thanks for the reminder. i love the comparison to nourishing the body. it may not be the first time i’ve heard that (i’m certain i’ve taught it in a class or two) but i tend to forget – i appreciate that you’re letting God speak to me through your thoughts! πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • reb says

      29 August 2012 at 12:08 pm

      Eep, I don’t feel like God is speaking through my thoughts, but I’m glad it was a good reminder for you. πŸ™‚

      Reply

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Hello! I'm Rebecca. Wife to E, homeschooling mother to B and C, and currently living in Colorado. I have a degree in art history and find joy in being able to offer art-related resources to homeschooling families as well as a gentle, Charlotte Mason-Inspired Kindergarten Curriculum. I also share our own homeschooling journey in the hope that it can be a help to others! Read More…

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Summer is almost over, but there's still some time Summer is almost over, but there's still some time for more adventures! It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of our National Park Service. In particular, I love the Junior Ranger Program they offer, and any family vacations we take usually revolve around going to new parks and collecting more Junior Ranger badges for B and C. The parks are one of my happy places, and I love visiting them.​​​​​​​​
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The Park Service does have a page with a list of Junior Ranger programs at different parks, but in the past, it has not been complete, and I like to see them broken down by state and region. So this week on the blog, I thought I'd offer a list of all the Junior Ranger programs at parks in the Western region, which includes Arizona, California, and Nevada. I'm also including an interactive map so you can figure out which ones are closest to you. If you happen to be taking a vacation this summer in any of these states, I highly recommend stopping at a park to earn a badge!​​​​​​​​
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You can find the list at the link in my profile!
"It is well that we should choose our authors with "It is well that we should choose our authors with judgment, as we choose our friends, and then wait upon them respectfully to hear what they have to say to us" (Charlotte Mason, Philosophy of Education). One of my favorite CM quotes. πŸ˜Šβ€‹β€‹β€‹β€‹β€‹β€‹β€‹β€‹
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Patreon friends, your monthly printables are ready!​​​​​​​​
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"For we are an overwrought generation, running to "For we are an overwrought generation, running to nerves as a cabbage runs to seed; and every hour spent in the open is a clear gain, tending to the increase of brain power and bodily vigour, and to the lengthening of life itself. They who know what it is to have fevered skin and throbbing brain deliciously soothed by the cool touch of the air are inclined to make a new rule of life, Never be within doors when you can rightly be without." Charlotte Mason (Home Education)​​​​​​​​
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I like to revisit this entire quote in Home Education every so often because what she said was true in 1886 is also acutely accurate today: we are an overwrought generation. And it feels that each successive generation is becoming more so. I know that when I feel overwhelmed and think there is no time for a hike or a walk or even some time out in the backyard with my feet in the grass, that is precisely when I need those things the most. I have experienced firsthand the calming effects of being out in nature, away from screens and radios and all the distractions this world shoves in our faces. I think her suggestion for a new rule of life is an excellent one.​​​​​​​​
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This has become my favorite hiking shirt, and it's available in my shop! You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonquotes #homeschoollife #homeschoolingfamily #homeschoolgear #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation"
"Musical Appreciation, of course, has nothing to d "Musical Appreciation, of course, has nothing to do with playing the piano. It used to be thought that 'learning music' must mean this, and it was supposed that children who had no talent for playing were unmusical and would not like concerts. But Musical Appreciation had no more to do with playing an instrument than acting had to do with an appreciation of Shakespeare, or painting with enjoyment of pictures. I think that all children should take Musical Appreciation and not only the musical ones, for it has been proved that only three per cent of children are what is called 'tone-deaf'; and if they are taken at an early age it is astonishing how children who appear to be without ear, develop it and are able to enjoy listening to music with understanding." Charlotte Mason (Philosophy of Education)​​​​​​​​
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Continuing with the series I began in April listing my favorite resources for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, this week I'm sharing my favorite resources for music! This includes composer study, folksongs, and hymns. You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonmusic #charlottemasoncomposerstudy #composerstudy
If Vincent van Gogh had what he considered a "happ If Vincent van Gogh had what he considered a "happy place," this bedroom in the yellow house at Arles was one of them. About it he wrote in 1888: β€œThis time it’s simply my bedroom, but the colour has to do the job here, and through its being simplified by giving a grander style to things, to be suggestive here of rest or of sleep in general. In short, looking at the painting should rest the mind, or rather, the imagination.​​​​​​​​
The walls are of a pale violet. The floor β€” is of red tiles.​​​​​​​​
The bedstead and the chairs are fresh butter yellow.​​​​​​​​
The sheet and the pillows very bright lemon green. The blanket scarlet red.​​​​​​​​
The window green.​​​​​​​​
The dressing table orange, the basin blue.​​​​​​​​
The doors lilac.​​​​​​​​
And that’s all β€” nothing in this bedroom, with its shutters closed.​​​​​​​​
The solidity of the furniture should also now express unshakeable repose. Portraits on the wall, and a mirror and a hand-towel and some clothes.​​​​​​​​
The frame β€” as there’s no white in the painting β€” will be white.”​​​​​​​​
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After he left Arles and admitted himself to an asylum in 1889, he revisited this room in his imagination and repainted it two more times.​​​​​​​​
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I made a picture study video walking through this piece a few years ago that you can find at the link in my profile. I also have a Vincent van Gogh Picture Study Aid and art prints available there as well!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasonpicturestudy #picturestudy #arthistoryforhomeschoolers #homeschoolarthistory #homeschool #homeschooling
Sealed into an album somewhere in my house is a ph Sealed into an album somewhere in my house is a photograph of an art gallery wall. In the middle of this gold-toned wall is a tiny rectangle with the barely-discernible image of a woman enclosed in it. She is behind thick glass, and her green-hued features are difficult to see in detail at such a distance. However, the lack of proximity is explained by the sea of people in the bottom part of the photograph. Even at that distance, however, her unmistakable form is easily recognized.
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This was as close as I got when I visited the Louvre 23 years ago to a Leonardo da Vinci original. The oft-professed "most famous painting in the world." La Giaconda. The Mona Lisa.
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I would honestly love to see more of his pieces. The only one in all of the Americas is Ginevra de' Benci's pale face at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I have read in various places, and believe entirely based on what I've seen with paintings by other artists, that reproductions can not even remotely give his originals justice. There is something about experiencing a piece in person, not only the true colors with my own eyes but seeing the brushstrokes. The fingerprints. The work itself.
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Leonardo himself was the ultimate tortured genius, and this is part of what I truly appreciate about him: the frenetic pace of his mind. He moved from one project to another project, from one medium to another medium, from one study to another study, from one city to another city. He was so consumed by the myriad paths his mind traveled that many of his pieces were unfinished. Aside from the creations we have in his journals, had he been gifted with more regular patrons or even a little more self-discipline, it's incredible to think about the things he may have accomplished.
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Today I'm excited to announce that I am now offering a Leonardo da Vinci Picture Study Aid and art prints! You can find it at the link in my profile!
A month or two ago, I posted about how I've been a A month or two ago, I posted about how I've been adding more recipes from Nourishing Traditions to my meal plan lately. It's a book I've had for over a decade now, but there are still so many recipes I haven't tried.​​​​​​​​
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In that same post, a few of you asked what some of my favorite recipes from that book are and I tried to list them in the comments, but I don't think IG liked how long it was. πŸ₯΄ So, I'm replying with pictures of the tried-and-true recipes we've been using from Nourishing Traditions for several years!​​​​​​​​
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Today's is breakfast. Clockwise from the left we have homemade yog(h)urt (p. 85) which is what my kids get with their breakfast. We top it with honey from a local beekeeper for the added seasonal allergy benefits. On the top is milk kefir (p. 86) which is what I have with my breakfast or first thing in the morning if it'll be a while before we have breakfast. For both of these, I use vat-pasteurized milk (Kalona Supernatural Whole Milk) because our raw milk is pretty expensive and the yogurt is being heated anyway. (I do have a recipe for raw milk yogurt on my website if you're interested in that too!)​​​​​​​​
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On the bottom is oatmeal (p. 455). I soak this in water and a little kefir overnight in our microwave which is above our stove and stays nice and warm from the stove surface light. In the morning, I dump it all in a pan, cook it until it's thick, add a pat of butter and 1 tb of ground flax seeds and mix it together until the butter melts. I then scoop it into bowls and add more butter, then everyone can add however much cinnamon or maple syrup they want.​​​​​​​​
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This isn't all we have with breakfast, but these are the specific recipes from Nourishing Traditions that we have nearly every day!​​​​​​​​
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#nourishingtraditions #westonaprice #wapf
I am a firm believer that the kindergarten year sh I am a firm believer that the kindergarten year should not be complicated. In fact, there is a lot of evidence that suggests taking a "better late than early" approach to beginning more formal lessons with your kids is more beneficial to them than starting too early. (I linked to a post on my website about this last month with the studies I found, but it's back up at the link in my profile if you're interested in reading it!)​​​​​​​​
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You’ve probably heard the saying that childhood is not a race, and this is especially true for kindergarten. Children at this age don’t need worksheets, flashcards, and standardized tests, they need unstructured time (especially outside!), open-ended toys, art supplies, and good books read to them. They need to be allowed to take in the world in their own ways. They need to be allowed to be little kids for a little while longer.​​​​​​​​
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With all this in mind, I feel like we kind of need a kindergarten revolution to break away from the idea that we have to do "all the things" during the kindergarten year. If you're interested in how simple it can be, I have a printable book list available on my website to help you build your own kindergarten year! You can find it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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(Also, the 2022-2023 Charlotte Mason-Inspired Kindergarten Curriculum is back in stock! Those on the waitlist should've received an email notification. You can also find it at the link in my profile!)​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasonhomeschool #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonkindergarten #cminspiredkindergarten #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolingkindergarten #kindergartenhomeschool
"...we know that the human hand is a wonderful and "...we know that the human hand is a wonderful and exquisite instrument to be used in a hundred movements exacting delicacy, direction and force; every such movement is a cause of joy as it leads to the pleasure of execution and the triumph of success. We begin to understand this and make some efforts to train the young in the deft handling of tools and the practice of handicrafts. Some day, perhaps, we shall see apprenticeship to trades revived, and good and beautiful work enforced. In so far, we are laying ourselves out to secure that each shall 'live his life'; and that, not at his neighbour's expense; because, so wonderful is the economy of the world that when a man really lives his life he benefits his neighbour as well as himself; we all thrive in the well-being of each." Charlotte Mason (Philosophy of Education)​​​​​​​​
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I love, love, love this quote, especially the last part...."not at his neighbor's expense." ❀️​​​​​​​​
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Continuing with the series I started in April going over our favorite resources for Charlotte Mason homeschooling, this week I wrote about art (a subject dear to my heart!) and handicrafts! You can find read all about it at the link in my profile!​​​​​​​​
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#charlottemason #charlottemasoneducation #charlottemasonhomeschool #picturestudy #handicrafts #homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolhandicrafts

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